


Spirits That Could Be

by Toon_Lover_Kost



Series: The World That Could Be [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: Amorphage, Bujin - Freeform, Burning Abyss, Death, Duel Monsters, Fantastic Racism, Gen, High School, LGBTQ Themes, Non-Graphic Violence, Ojama, Original Universe, Phantom Knights, Possession, Post-Time Skip, Prank-Kids, Psychic Abilities, Qliphort, Raidraptors, Redemption, Saving the World, Shaddoll, Supernatural Elements, Yami no Game | Shadow Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 11:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28777569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toon_Lover_Kost/pseuds/Toon_Lover_Kost
Summary: A Yu-Gi-Oh! card game-based story set in an Original Universe, and the final installment of the "The World That Could Be" trilogy. It follows characters from the previous two parts, as well as new ones in the high school setting of the International Duel Academy (IDA), a school where teenagers can learn all about playing card games! Features popular monsters and archetypes from Yu-Gi-Oh!'s competitive past.
Series: The World That Could Be [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833535
Kudos: 5





	1. Welcome to Duel Academy

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is based on a collaborative roleplay originally hosted in Masquerade Forums, which I can't link because the site has been offline since 2018. Like the previous installments, many changes have been made for the sake of creating a more coherent story. Reading the previous two works in the series is helpful, but not required. I hope you'll enjoy~!

The sound of expensive dress shoes filled an empty, pitch-black room. Enter a man with blonde hair and green eyes, clad in an immaculate white suit. “Welcome… to the International Duel Academy!” He spoke, spreading his arms. “You have been selected from a long list of candidates thanks to your outstanding potential. We expect great things from you.”

Located on a remote island owned by a private company, the International Duel Academy - often abbreviated as IDA - as its name implied, was an institution dedicated to teaching teenagers all about the popular game of Duel Monsters. An ocean liner owned by the same company brought hundreds of kids that had enrolled for the First Year of the program to the island, many of whom dreamed of one day becoming Pro Duelists!

A young man roamed the boys’ dormitory, looking for the room that he’d been assigned. He bumped into another student outside the door. “Oh, hi. I guess you must be my roommate.”

“It appears so.” A silver-haired youth with vaguely Asian features bowed respectfully. “My name is Hiroyuki Sasayama. And this is my partner, Force Strix.”

An owl-like creature made up of various machine parts roosted on Hiroyuki’s shoulder. “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” They spoke in a mechanical voice.

“Same… My name’s Thomas Folliot.” The other teen introduced himself in turn. “Wait a minute, is that thing a Duel Spirit? Wow! I’ve never seen one up close.”

“Indeed I am a Duel Spirit, though I would appreciate it if you didn’t refer to me as a ‘thing’, young man.” Force Strix politely requested.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to offend… I just got caught off guard, that’s all.” Thomas sheepishly apologized.

“It’s fine, you’re not the only one.” Hiroyuki said, sighing softly. “We’ve been getting weird looks from people ever since we arrived here…”

The next morning, after having gotten a good night’s sleep, the two freshmen were on their way to class. “So, how come you joined IDA?” Thomas asked his newfound roommate. “I thought they didn’t take kindly to Dueling over in the East.”

“A common misconception, young man.” Force Strix answered in their partner’s stead. “Duel Spirits are opposed to humans Dueling irresponsibly - without thinking of the consequences. We don’t hate the game of Duel Monsters itself, as some fanatics would have you believe.”

“My father always wanted me to become a fighter, while my mother insisted that I should socialize with more humans in my age group. Easier said than done, when most of them won’t even talk to me…” Hiroyuki appended an explanation of his own, briefly glancing around them. “How about you, Thomas-san? What made you join the Academy?” He inquired.

“I’m afraid my story isn’t nearly as interesting as yours.” Thomas replied. “My parents wanted me to sign up, thinking that I should turn my hobby into a full-time job. I mean, with large corporations sponsoring tournaments again, Pro Dueling is actually a valid career option.”

“CASSIEEEE!” A high-pitched wail robbed the two boys’ attention, as they observed a female student standing in the middle of the hallway, hollering for someone. Notably, she appeared to be about the same age as them, and sported a pink ribbon on her neck-length, auburn hair.

Thomas approached her. “Hi there. What’s with the yelling?”

“Hi. I’m looking for my roommate.” The girl explained, turning to his direction. “Have you seen her? She has black hair, a funny hat and gloomy makeup. By the way, I’m Jovie… Jovie Williams! How’s your day?” She flashed a bright smile that was filled with positivity.

The boy curiously raised his eyebrow. “Sorry, but I don’t think I’ve seen any, uhh… goths with funny hats. As for my day, it’s been pretty okay. I’m Thomas, by the way.”

“And my name is Hiroyuki Sasayama. Pleased to meet you.” Hiroyuki introduced himself in a formal manner, bowing his head. Perched on his shoulder, Force Strix mimicked his gesture.

Jovie let out a shocked gasp. “Oh my gosh! It’s a filthy Duel Spirit! How’s your day?” She cheerfully waved at the mechanical bird.

“What did you just call him?!” Hiroyuki snarled, clenching his teeth.

“I called him a filthy Duel Spirit.” Jovie said, glancing at him quizzically. “He IS a filthy Duel Spirit, isn’t he?”

“I have no words… That was uncalled for, lady!” A bewildered Thomas exclaimed. “Come on, Hiro, it’s no use getting upset over someone like her. Jerks will be jerks.”

“You’re right… We shouldn’t be late to class.” The Asian youth huffed, as they both turned around and left the girl alone.

“They seemed mad… Was it something I said?” Jovie wondered on her lonesome, genuinely puzzled, before noticing a figure loitering in the distance. “Cassie, there you are!” She shouted, running up to a girl with jet black hair that covered one eye, goth makeup, and a tiny bowler hat resting atop her head. “How’s your day? Wait, that’s not what I wanted to ask! Where have you been?! I’ve been looking for you all day! You’d better have a good excuse for this, Cassandra Faraday!” She chastised her roommate.

“Do I ever!” The goth girl beamed with joy. “You won’t believe this, Jovie. Last night, I was possessed by a ghost! A REAL GHOST!” She loudly proclaimed. “I woke up in the restroom this morning with no memory of what the ghost did with my body. Spooky, right?”

The auburn-haired girl stared at her with visible doubt. “Nice try, Cassie, but everyone knows that ghosts aren’t real. Only filthy Duel Spirits are real.”

“That’s what the government wants you to believe!” Cassandra claimed.

“Joke’s on you!” Jovie pointed an accusatory finger at her. “My Dad works with the government all the time, and he says that politicians never lie! Just because your mom is a teacher here doesn’t mean you get to do whatever you want!”

Cassandra puffed her cheeks in frustration. “And just because your dad owns this school doesn’t mean you get to boss me around! Ghosts are real and I was possessed by one!”

While their petty girlfight was occurring, the auditorium had been filled with First Year students who were ready to attend their first course for the day - Dueling History. Their noisy prittle-prattle came to a stop when a man in his early thirties walked in, dressed in a simple, yet stylish suit, and sporting messy, yet clean, raven hair. “Good morning, class. I’m Professor David Kingsley.” He introduced himself, his crystal clear voice filling the room in spite of him not using a microphone. “It falls upon me to enlighten you all about the ugly, yet fascinating history surrounding the game of Duel Monsters and how it has affected society. Hopefully you will find this subject as interesting as I do.” He said, fixing a pair of rectangular glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Now, open your textbooks on page 39, if you would.”

“Crud, I forgot to bring my textbook.” Thomas whispered to himself, shuffling through the contents of his briefcase. “Why do we even still use books made of paper, when we have hyper-realistic holographic technology…” He quietly lamented.

“Y-you can read from my book, if you want…” The girl sitting next to him meekly offered, sliding her book in-between them.

“Uhm… thanks.” Thomas nodded in gratitude, momentarily stunned by the girl’s gorgeous, bright red hair and her mesmerizing, jade-colored eyes.

David Kingsley scanned the entire classroom with his sharp eyes, humming under his breath, before beginning his lecture proper. “The World Incident, also known as the First Arcadian Disaster, was the first instance of a Duel Spirit emerging in the Human World. Up until that point, the mainstream public had been unaware of even the existence of Duel Spirits. All of that changed when a Duel Monsters tournament held in the city of Arcadia was hijacked by a small group of pro-Duel Spirit extremists calling themselves ‘The World’.”

“Hellooo! How’s your day, everyone?” The professor’s lecture was interrupted by Jovie casually barging in, along with her friend Cassandra. “Sorry we’re late. We had a bit of a fight, but we made up!”

David frowned, turning towards the two of them. “Do you know what time it is, Ms. Williams?”

“H-how do you know my name?” Jovie stuttered, staring at the man’s eerie countenance like a deer staring at a speeding car’s headlights.

“It’s rude to answer a question with another question.” Mr. Kingsley said in a strict tone. “Next time, be punctual, or there will be repercussions. Now where was I…” He paced around for a few seconds, ignoring the two girls who quietly took their seats. “Ah, yes. The leader of The World, a man who later became known as Matteo de Souza, demanded that Arcadia’s tournament was cancelled on the grounds that Dueling was abusive to Duel Spirits. When the city’s administration refused to yield to their demands, The World unleashed a powerful dragon on the city, burning it to the ground and killing thousands of people in the most horrific act of terrorism the planet had thus far seen… 30 years have passed since that day.”

The flow of the lecture was disturbed once again by a knock on the door. “Mr. Kingsley, I brought the laser pointers you asked for!” A white-haired boy of very small stature walked in, carrying a cardboard box in his hands.

“Thank you, Aster. Leave them on my desk.” The bespectacled professor said, inspecting the contents of the box. “Hmm, it seems to be the new, union-approved model Chancellor Goldsmith insisted that we use. How I miss the good old days when those things could make people blind…” He reminisced, letting out a nostalgic sigh. “Class, this is Aster Rothschild. He’s a First Year student just like you, and has joined IDA on my personal recommendation, on account of his extraordinary talent. I hope that you’ll treat him well.”

“Nice to meet you, everyone.” The white-haired boy regarded his peers with a big, friendly smile. “I look forward to playing lots of games together. Heeheehee.” He jovially giggled.

“Most of the seats are taken, so…” David whipped out a holographic tablet and browsed through several student files. An elusive smile crept upon his lips. “Mr. Folliot, could you step aside so that Aster can sit next to you? There’s more than enough space between you and Ms. Lance.”

“Okay…” Thomas reluctantly made room for Aster to sit between him and the red-haired girl.

After getting seated, Aster turned to said girl. “Hi. Wanna know a secret? Red is my favorite color.” He whispered to her.

“You like my color? T-thanks…” The girl whispered back, blushing ever so slightly.

As a rather wet spitball suddenly hit the back of Aster’s head, his smile waned. Behind them, a burly teen sporting a blue mohawk held a straw in his hand, while he and his two buddies sitting beside him chuckled at Aster’s expense.

Thomas glared at the bullies. “Real mature, guys!” He spat.

“Is something the matter, children?” The professor sternly asked.

“Everything’s fine, Mr. Kingsley.” Aster replied, calmly picking the wet piece of paper off his ivory hair. “We’re just anxious to learn more, heeheehee!” He let out another giggle.

David grinned widely. “Very well. As you can see, this was Arcadia after the dragon’s rampage.” Using one of his newly acquired laser pointers, he pointed at a hologram depicting a desolate city covered in ashes and decrepit ruins. “And this was the same city after being renovated into New Arcadia.” The grim holographic display was replaced by that of a much slicker, eco-friendly metropolis, combining state of the art architecture with ample greenery. “While The World’s deeds were deplorable, they also led to drastic reforms, raising people’s awareness about Duel Spirits and allowing them to integrate into our society. The Unity Act was signed as a means of not only protecting the rights of Duel Spirits, but also ensuring that our two races could peacefully coexist. The massive migration of Duel Spirits into the Human World eventually led to the establishment of the Eastern Duel Spirit Kingdom, known in the present day as the Eastern Duel Spirit Republic. Incidentally, your classmate Hiroyuki Sasayama happens to be one of the last remaining human citizens of the Republic.”

Hiroyuki’s shoulders sank, the fact that everybody’s eyes were suddenly on him making him feel uncomfortable. A supportive Force Strix patted his back with their mechanical wing.

“I have a question.” A girl with platinum blonde hair and smokey eye makeup raised her hand and immediately began speaking. “What’s the point of this entire course? My parents sent me here to become the best Duelist in the world, not to learn about history.”

“History repeats itself, Ms. Hart.” David responded after checking the girl’s student file. “Should I carry on now, or is there anybody else who wishes to interrupt me?”

“GHOSTS ARE REAL AND I HAVE PROOF!” Cassandra got up and shouted at the top of her lungs, getting dumbfounded looks from everyone in the room. Sitting next to her, Jovie tugged at her sleeve, wordlessly telling her to stop embarrassing herself.

“Sit. Down.” A very annoyed David hissed, quickly recomposing himself and resuming his history lesson as if nothing had happened. “Let us skip forward to the Second Arcadian Disaster, known as the Pandeity Incident. Go to page 70 of your textbooks, please…”

Thankfully, the rest of the lecture proceeded smoothly and with no further interruptions. Learning so much about their strange, multicultural world and the devastating events that had preceded their generation came as a shock to many young students, but otherwise their day continued as normal. Yet, unbeknownst to them a sinister force had infiltrated their peaceful school and would soon change their pedestrian lives for the worse…

It was well after midnight, and an unsanctioned Duel that had taken place under the cover of darkness was about to reach its conclusion. Creepy marionettes suspended in the air by glowing, purple strings stared down a shiver of ‘Shark’ monsters. A young man with a blue mohawk grunted in pain as his aquatic predators were consumed by the shadows.

“Too bad… Looks like you lost. You know what that means, right?” A short figure clad in an all-encompassing, dark cloak said in an eerily cheerful tone. “You’re gonna pay the ultimate price! Penalty Game!”

A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the dimly-lit hallways, followed by a deeply unsettling, childlike giggle.

“Heeheehee.”


	2. Learning With the Yangs

“Hellooo? Is this thing on?” A buxom, blonde woman wearing five cheerleaders’ worth of makeup on her face tapped her manicured finger against the screen. “Oh, it’s recording! Hi, students! Welcome to the Deck-Building course! I’m Professor Ruby Yang!” She bounced happily and waved at the camera.

“And I’m the Lab Assistant, Esmeralda Yang.” A woman with brown hair popped into the corner of the screen, looking much more aloof and disinterested than her bubbly counterpart.

“In this course, you’ll get to learn the secrets of building a strong deck! But first, a PSA about Restrict Sleeves!” Ruby revealed a plastic card sleeve that had an Eye of Wdjat logo on it. “Did you know that every monster card contains the soul of a Duel Spirit in it? This means that every time you send your monsters into battle, you end up hurting some poor Duel Spirits, but more importantly you hurt the feelings of people on the internet! With this revolutionary product by Williams Industries, that’ll be a thing of the past!”

“Restrict Sleeves cause a Duel Spirit’s power to go dormant during a Duel, making them unaffected by external stimuli.” Esmeralda explained.

“That way, your monsters won’t feel any pain, and your social media feed will no longer be filled with messages of people calling you a Duel Spirit abuser. It’s a win-win!” Ruby gleefully exclaimed. “So, what are you waiting for? Get your Restrict Sleeves today!”

As the presentation ended, the real Ruby Yang stood in front of a hologram projector. “How did you like that, kids? Very informative, right? Now, on your desks you’ll find a set of 55 Restrict Sleeves for your deck and Extra Deck. If you need more, be sure to let me know. Also, my sister Esmeralda will distribute 5 booster packs to each of you. You can add the cards you find in them to your deck to make it stronger, or you can trade them with your classmates. Every pack is guaranteed to have a Rare card in it!”

While waiting for Esmeralda to bring their booster packs over, Thomas finished slotting all of his cards into his newly acquired Restrict Sleeves. “You know, these look kinda nice. We get to do the right thing AND protect our cards from being damaged. Not sure why they all have that creepy eye on them, though.” He turned to his roommate with a quizzical look. “Aren’t you going to put them onto your cards?”

“I’m not sure if I should…” Hiroyuki visibly struggled to make a decision. “Shutting off a Duel Spirit’s power sounds… wrong. What do you think, Force Strix? Do I have your permission to do this?” He asked his partner.

“Of course.” The mechanical owl nodded. “You can always take them off later. It will be no different than me taking a nap.”

“Alright then.” The boy took an Xyz card out of his Extra Deck and carefully slotted it into one of the protective sleeves.

Force Strix let out a relaxed groan. “Ohh, that hits the spot! It feels like I’m getting tucked in bed under a warm blanket… You kids have fun. I think I’ll just rest here for a bit…” The mechanical bird yawned lethargically, a comically large snot bubble coming out of the hole on their metallic beak, as they snoozed on Hiroyuki’s shoulder.

“Wow, he wasn’t kidding about taking a nap!” Thomas remarked. “I guess it’s time to open some booster packs now.” He added, unwrapping the first of the packs and checking its contents. “Hey, Hiro. Your Raidraptors are all Winged Beast-type, right?”

“Yes they are. Why do you ask?” The Asian youth said, while looking through his own pulls.

“You could probably use this Icarus Attack I pulled, if you have something to trade for it, that is.” The other boy offered.

“I might have something. What deck do you play again?”

“I’ve been playing a Bujin deck. It works well enough, but it can be slow sometimes.”

“Then I’ll trade you this Kaiser Colosseum. It should slow your opponents down to your level.”

“You’re right, this looks pretty good. It’s a deal!” Thomas traded his Trap card for Hiro’s Spell card. His gaze then fell on Aster, who sat across their table. “Hey, Aster. Aren’t you going to open your booster packs?”

“Hmm?” The white-haired boy gave him a sideways glance, having seemingly been lost in his own thoughts. “I don’t need to. I already have all the cards I need.”

“I’ll be taking these then. Thanks!” A hand swiped the packs off the table, as a young woman with platinum blonde hair impatiently tore them open and shuffled through the cards found inside. “Let’s see if there’s anything good here. Trash, trash, trash, super trash… Ooh, Miracle Fertilizer! This will definitely replace my Call of the Haunted.” She said, taking a card out of her deck box, tearing it in half and replacing it with the new Spell card she’d just pulled.

“Woah, slow down, lady!” Thomas exclaimed. “Ripping a card in two just because you’ve found a better card… Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?” He pointed out.

“Don’t you know who I am? I’m Electra - freaking - Hart! I can be as extreme as I want!” The girl brazenly declared, flipping her glossy, flowing hair to the side. “‘Never settle for anything less than the best.’ That’s the Hart family motto!”

“That’s such a short-sighted point of view.” Hiroyuki remarked with a slight frown.

“Well, it’s served us well thus far.” Electra responded. “The Hart dynasty is like a great tree. Any branches that are not fit to grow need to be cut off, otherwise they’re only gonna be a liability. It only makes sense that I’d apply the same philosophy in deck-building.”

“It’s a pretty good philosophy to follow.” Aster nodded in agreement. “There are strong cards and weak cards, just like there are strong people and weak people in the world, and the strong ones will always prevail.”

Thomas raised a somewhat bewildered eyebrow. “Okay, not sure how this got derailed into a philosophical debate, but considering your whole spiel about trees and branches just now, I’m guessing you play some kind of Plant-focused deck.”

The Hart heiress smirked. “Nice job, Sherlock! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna shut y’all out. I need some peace and quiet while I’m building my deck.” She said, sitting down, putting a pair of airpods on and listening to her favorite music.

A finger tapped Thomas’ shoulder. “H-hi! I see that you’ve pulled a Book of Taiyou… Would you like to trade it for my Book of Moon?” A girl with bright red hair shyly asked him.

The Bujin player turned towards her and his eyes immediately widened. “Hey, I remember you from Prof. Kingsley’s class the other day. I don’t think I got your name, though.”

“E-Evangeline…” The timid redhead eked her own name out.

“Nice to meet you, Evangeline. My name’s Thomas.” The boy tried his best to smile coolly, but it ended up coming off as uncool and awkward instead.

“Are you okay?” The girl worriedly asked.

“Yeah, my face just twitches whenever I get nervous.” Thomas replied. “Anyway, I’ll gladly trade with you. Here you go.” He offered his Spell card in exchange for her own.

“Thank you… Thomas.” Evangeline nodded in gratitude, adding the card into her deck and walking back towards her own desk.

“Just where do you think you’re going with that deck, sweetie?” Ruby Yang stopped the girl in her tracks, snatching the deck out of her hands.

“H-hey, give it back!” Evangeline protested.

“Sorry, sweetie, but I can’t do that. There’s just way too much text on those cards! It’s far too complicated for someone with your… ‘special condition’.” The blonde bombshell of a professor said, making quotes in the air with her fingers.

“I can read them just fine. I’m not stupid…” The girl muttered.

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault you were born this way.” Her red hair was ruffled by Ruby, who handed her a brand new deck of cards. “Here you go, sweetie! This deck should be much easier to use for someone like you. Take your time reading these cards, so that you don’t get information overload.”

“They’re all Normal monsters… and there’s no Extra Deck.” Evangeline said after quickly inspecting those cards.

“Exactly!” The woman flashed a bright smile. “You can have your old deck back once you’ve proven that you can handle this one.” She decreed, opening a locker and stuffing Evangeline’s old deck inside.

Having overheard part of their exchange, a scowling Aster decided to jump down from his seat and approach the buxom teacher. His scowl was soon replaced by an unsuspicious smile of childlike innocence. “Ms. Yang? Sorry for bothering you, but…”

“What is it, dear?” Ruby leaned down in order to reach the boy’s eye level.

“Electra is listening to music during class!” Aster snitched on his classmate.

“SHE DID WHAT?!” An enraged Ruby stomped her way straight towards Electra’s table. “Is it true that you’re listening to music during class, younger lady?”

“Yeah? What’s it to you?” The Hart heiress casually removed the airpods from her ears.

“You can’t do that! It’s wrong! It’s absolutely not allowed!” The female professor ranted.

Electra frowned. “Look, this is called the DECK-BUILDING course, and I’m currently BUILDING my DECK! As far as I’m concerned, I’m not doing anything wrong. So, back off, Miss Silicon Valley!” She poked the older woman in the chest.

Ruby gasped in shock. “‘Silicon Valley’?! Take that back, you little brat!” She yelled, consciously wrapping her arms around her own bust.

“Uh-oh! I have a bad feeling about this…” Thomas muttered, beginning to sweat.

With everyone in the room pretty much being distracted by the ongoing ruckus, Aster quietly walked up to the locker, whereupon he slipped a Duel Monsters card through the crack and began to bend and wiggle it around.

“What are you doing?” A bewildered Evangeline inquired.

After successfully unlocking the door, the white-haired boy retrieved Evangeline’s deck, which he handed back to her. “This school’s locks are too easy, heeheehee! I’ll take this one…” He giggled, taking the Normal monster deck and shoving it inside the locker instead, so that nobody would suspect that anything was missing.

Evangeline’s lips trembled. “That deck was really important to me… Thank you for giving it back… Thank you!” She cried, wrapping her arms around the vertically challenged youth in an unexpected embrace.

Having been wholly unprepared to be in such close proximity to a cute girl, Aster blushed heavily, feeling her lovely, crimson locks of hair brushing against his nose. “Y-you’re welcome.” He blurted out.

“Attention, students and faculty of IDA. This is Chancellor Salazar von Goldsmith speaking.” An eloquent man’s voice sounded through the PA system installed in all classrooms.

Electra and Ruby had been in the process of nearly grabbing each other by the hair, only being prevented from doing so thanks to being restrained by Thomas and Esmeralda respectively. Like everybody else, as soon as the announcement began, they stopped everything they were doing and turned their gazes upwards, where the holographic head of Chancellor Goldsmith himself had appeared.

“Last night, First Year student Fin Dorsal was attacked by an unknown assailant. Rest assured, he’s currently receiving the best treatments our expert medical staff can offer. In the meantime, as the Chancellor of IDA, it behooves me to impose stricter measures in order to ensure the safety of the rest of our students. Affected immediately, there will be a curfew from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. Any students found outside their dorms during that time will face immediate suspension. That is all for now. You may resume your classes.”

The Chancellor’s announcement, which was heard throughout the entire main building, was met with a blare of incoherent murmuring coming from many students at once. Some were understandably upset by the new curfew that had been forced down their throats, while others expressed worry.

“Oh dear. I hope the student is okay…” Evangeline said in a concerned tone.

Aster hung his head down, his ivory hair falling over his visage. “Don’t worry about him, Eva. Heeheehee.” He nonchalantly giggled. “Say, since class is basically over now, would you like to go outside and… hang out? I could give you a few tips about improving your deck. What do you think?” He offered, anxiously twiddling his thumbs.

“I’m certainly not going to get any tips from that awful woman.” Evangeline crossly looked at the corner of the room, where Esmeralda was desperately trying to placate a still seething Ruby. She turned back to the boy and smiled meekly. “Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, Thomas shrugged indifferently. “It’s not like there’s much to do around here after 8:00 pm, so I guess I don’t mind the curfew that much.”

“Are you kidding? This is all kinds of shifty!” Electra chimed in. “A student in OUR Year got attacked, and apparently it was bad enough that now he needs multiple doctors watching over him! How did this even happen? What if that ‘unknown assailant’ is still on the loose?”

“When you put it like that, this does sound disconcerting.” Hiroyuki concurred.

Force Strix groggily opened their eyes, having just woken up from their slumber. “That was a splendid nap! What did I miss?”

“Electra and Prof. Yang almost killed each other and a student has been hospitalized.” Thomas answered the mechanical bird’s query.

“I dunno about you guys, but I’m not gonna sit around and wait for someone to tell me what’s going on. I’m going to the infirmary to get some actual answers!” The Hart heiress made her way out of the room, but not before turning back to Thomas and Hiro one last time. “Are you two coming with me or what?”

“Yes, ma’am!” The two youths responded in unison.

And so, the group ran straight to IDA’s infirmary, where they soon discovered that the door was tightly shut. “They’re not letting visitors come in yet. Figures!” Electra groaned.

“Should we try knocking?” Hiroyuki suggested.

“Yeah, I was just about to do that.” The platinum blonde raised her finger towards the doorbell button, only for the door to automatically open before she had a chance to press it.

Out came Salazar von Goldsmith in the flesh, clad in his expensive white suit that only bolstered his natural air of superiority. “Can I help you, children?”

“C-Chancellor?!” Electra took a step backwards. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here. We just wanted to check how Fin Dorsal is doing.”

“Is that so?” Salazar raised an eyebrow. “Are you Mr. Dorsal’s friends?”

“Yeah, sure! Fin and I go way back! Right, Hiro?” Thomas lied through his teeth.

“Y-yes, of course… We are all his friends and worry about his well-being.” Hiroyuki made a somewhat less convincing attempt at lying.

The man narrowed his green eyes at the three of them. “Even in an ideal world where I could fall for your blatant deception, I wouldn’t allow you to get past this door. Until Fin Dorsal’s condition is stabilized, the infirmary is off-limits.”

“Look, we just wanna know what happened to him. If you can tell us that, then we’ll get out of your hair.” Electra insisted.

“What happened to Mr. Dorsal does not concern you.” The Chancellor of IDA sternly stated.

“If our safety could be on the line, I’d say it does!” The Hart heiress retorted.

“As long as you follow the curfew, you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“We came here to get some answers, darn it! If you don’t tell us what’s going on, then I’ll--”

“Call your father and have him threaten me?” Salazar interrupted her mid-sentence, an emerald light briefly flashing in both of his eyes. “I understand that you’ve grown accustomed to using your family’s wealth and influence to get what you want, Ms. Hart, but this is MY school, and I won’t let anyone undermine my authority!”

“Don’t talk to me like you know everything about me!” The girl snapped at him.

The white-suited man loudly harrumphed. “Hmph. I have way too much work to do. I can’t afford to waste my time arguing with teenagers. Do not test me.” With that last warning, he turned on his heel and walked away from the three students.

“Jerk…” Electra gritted her teeth in frustration. “You know nothing about my family…”


	3. The Mystery Deepens

Hanging out with his friend in the school cafeteria, Thomas gave his plate of mac ‘n’ cheese a deep, contemplative look. “Don’t you think it’s weird, Hiro?” He eventually spoke.

“Don’t I think what’s weird?” Hiroyuki inquired, all the while trying to excavate his pasta out of a rubbery mountain of molten dairy product.

“It’s been three days and there hasn’t been any news about the whole Fin Dorsal situation.” The Bujin player said, lifting a plastic fork and digging into his salad. “People made such a big fuss about it, but now no-one even mentions it.”

“You’re right, I suppose. One would expect at least a second announcement or an update on his health.” His roommate mused.

“Perhaps the boy succumbed to his wounds, and they’re trying to cover it up.” Force Strix chimed in, before pecking a cob of corn held in their talons.

“That is… extremely morbid.” Thomas cringed ever so slightly.

The mechanical owl audibly swallowed a mouthful of corn seeds. “Apologies. Sometimes I forget how touchy humans are about being ‘sent to the graveyard’, as it were.”

“That’s because, unlike you, we can’t get back from there.” The young man pointed out.

“Wassup, my nerds!” A certain platinum blonde approached them, holding a tray of food in her hands.

“Electra-san, hello… We were talking about the hospitalized student, actually.” Hiro said.

“Well, SOMEONE has to talk about it!” Electra took a seat at their table. “No announcements in three days! If you ask me, something very fishy is going on that we’re not privy to, and Chancellor Goldsmith probably knows more than he lets on.”

“I don’t wanna suspect the Chancellor of all people, but in this case, I’ll have to agree.” Thomas added. “He has to be hiding something, otherwise he wouldn’t be so secretive.”

“But why would he do such a thing?” Hiroyuki asked. “If this concerns the safety of all IDA students, shouldn’t they be told what they’re being kept safe from?”

“Maybe he doesn’t wanna cause mass hysteria.” Thomas theorized.

“Or maybe he’s afraid that, if word gets out, he’ll lose his job.” Electra stabbed her fork into her food. “Remember, Salazar might be the Chancellor, but he doesn’t own IDA. And the guy who does can easily lay him off, if some kind of scandal ends up ruining his reputation. Then it’ll be bye-bye to his fat salary that lets him afford all those fancy suits he keeps wearing.”

“Valuing his position over the safety of his students… That’s heinous!” Hiroyuki scowled.

“Hello, guys! Hello, Electra! How’s your day?” A rather mirthful Jovie passed by their table.

“Oh no… Not her again!” The Raidraptor player grunted under his breath.

The Hart heiress waved at her in a lackadaisical mood. “Hi, Jovie. As far as the average day for a teenager goes, mine has been pretty normal. Lots of classes, lots of anxiety, and lots of homework!” She half-jokingly replied.

“I know, right? Prof. Kingsley has given me so many assignments, and they’re all due this week!” Jovie said.

Thomas gave her a perplexed look. “Weird… He didn’t announce any assignments in class.” He then noticed the black-haired girl that was standing alongside Jovie. “You must be Jovie’s goth roommate. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Yo, wassup!” The girl in question casually greeted him. “My name’s Cassandra Faraday, and I’m trying to prove that ghosts and other paranormal phenomena are real. You can read all about it on my blog.”

“Cassie, look!” Jovie excitedly pointed at Force Strix. “The filthy Duel Spirit is eating corn! Gosh, that’s so--”

“You just couldn’t resist calling him that, could you?!” Hiroyuki roared, getting up and slamming his palms against the table. “Do you feel proud of yourself?”

Thomas also glared at her crossly. “Not cool, Jovie! Not cool!”

“Why? What did I do this time?” The auburn-haired girl asked, sounding genuinely baffled.

“I’m not hungry anymore.” The Asian youth gruffly said, before storming off.

“Hiroyuki, wait!” Force Strix flew after him.

“Darn! Someone decided to be a drama queen today!” Electra remarked, only to be the recipient of another glare from Thomas.

Jovie pouted, worriedly looking at the direction Hiro had run off to. “Cassie, go find us a table at our usual spot. I’ll be back in a jiffy!” She instructed her roommate, handing her tray of food over to her, before running off as well.

Cassandra bowed her head at the remaining kids. “It was nice meeting you, peeps. Make sure to check out my blog!” She said, then walked off in search of an unoccupied table.

The Bujin player sighed. “What’s with that girl anyway? How can someone who looks so wholesome be so… prejudiced.”

“Jovie’s always been a bit of an oddball.” Electra explained.

“‘Always’? You mean you knew her outside of IDA?” Thomas curiously asked.

“Yeah, our fathers did business together, so we used to have playdates at each other’s house when we were younger.” The Hart heiress further exposited. “Even back then she was… weird, like she lived in her own little world or something.”

“I see…” The youth pensively placed a hand on his chin.

Hiroyuki angrily thrust his fist against the bark of a tree. “Argh, that hurt!”

“How is punching trees going to fix anything?” His avian partner pointed out.

“I can’t take it anymore, Force Strix!” The boy’s eyes teared up. “I hate this place! I want to go back home…”

“Hiro!” Jovie finally caught up with him, stopping for a moment to catch her breath. “I’m sorry… I really mean it. I don’t know what I did to make you mad at me, but I’m sorry!”

The Raidraptor player didn’t respond to her heartfelt apology right away. Instead, he wiped his face before facing her. “I’m not mad at you, Jovie-san. I’m mad at… everyone here. I’m mad at humans.” He confessed, slowly sinking to his knees, while leaning his back against the tree. “When Force Strix and I first arrived at the mainland, airport security took us to a side room, where we met those two Interpol agents. They questioned us for hours! They wanted to make sure we weren’t terrorists. We cooperated out of respect for their culture. Then we came here, and people once again treated us like we were evil. Most students won’t even talk to me… All because of one man’s horrible actions years ago. I’m being shunned for something I had no control over!” A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. “It’s funny, you know… When I lived at the Republic, I was surrounded by Duel Spirits, yet I truly felt at home. Here, I’m surrounded by my own kind, yet I’ve never felt more alone.”

“You’re not alone. You have Thomas and Electra.” Jovie said, sitting next to the silver-haired youth and hugging her knees. “And I could be your friend too. I don’t think you’re evil. In fact, I think it’s really cool that you have a filthy Duel Spirit with you!”

“You do?” Hiroyuki stared at her with a surprised look.

“Yep!” The girl happily nodded. “He can fly and probably do other amazing things that humans can’t. And he can talk too, which means you can have all sorts of interesting conversations with him. It’s like having a best friend that will never leave you and knows all your secrets.”

“Some of his secrets I wish I didn’t know…” Force Strix let out a regretful sigh. Cupping their metallic wing around their beak, they whispered at Jovie. “Take my word for it. Never look at his browsing history.”

“Quiet, you!” Hiro’s cheeks flushed a faint shade of red. “That aside, Jovie-san… If you think Force Strix is cool, why do you keep calling him filthy?” He asked.

Jovie tilted her head in confusion. “What? I never called him filthy. Why would I call a filthy Duel Spirit filthy?”

“You did it again just now!” The boy exclaimed.

“I’ll have you know I take regular baths, young lady.” The mechanical bird added.

“But I never called him filthy! Stop confusing meee!” Jovie whined.

“Hmm, this appears to be a conundrum.” Force Strix hummed. “To avoid any future confusion, how about you just call me by my name from now on?”

“Okay, I can do that!” The girl’s mood instantly shifted back to happy-go-lucky. “‘Force Strix’ is kind of a mouthful, though. I’ll call you Strixie instead!”

“I’ll allow it…” The avian Duel Spirit let out another sigh.

“Are you sure this is… allowed?” Evangeline asked, while reading the text of a card that Aster had just given her.

“Sure is! Why wouldn’t it be?” The white-haired boy replied.

“It’s just that it’s called Pot of The Forbidden, so maybe it is… forbidden?” The crimson-haired girl squirmed on her seat.

Aster laughed. “Heeheehee! Nah, that’s just the name of the card. You’re totally allowed to play this in a Duel. In fact, it’s gonna be extra powerful in your deck!”

“My deck, huh?” Evangeline looked at her cards that were scattered all over the table they were currently sitting at. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even have a deck right now. You’ve even helped me improve it, make it stronger… I can’t thank you enough, Aster…”

“Don’t mention it! I was just glad to find someone else who uses Flip monsters.”

“People think that Flip monsters are bad… but I like them.”

“And I like the fact that you like them, Eva.” Aster smiled, helping Evangeline stack her cards on top of each other, until her deck was complete. “Now, make sure you don’t let anyone else take this deck away from you. If you do, I’ll have to fetch it for you again!” He jested.

While walking to the nearest trash can to dispose of his food leftovers, Thomas saw the two of them sitting at the same table. A barely noticeable frown crept upon his countenance. “Since when do those two have their lunches together?” The Bujin player mused.

“Seems like someone is jealous!” Electra teased him.

“I’m not jealous!” The youth retorted.

“Yes you are, but that’s beside the point.” The platinum blonde waved her hand dismissively. “I’m not here to talk about them. I’m here to talk about… us.”

Thomas turned towards her with a discombobulated look. “‘Us’?” He repeated.

Electra suddenly pinned him against a wall, trapping him in-between her arms. “I need you, Thomas! There’s something you and I need to do tonight… Something bad that will certainly get us into trouble…” She said in a mildly suggestive tone.

The boy loudly gulped. “A-and what would that be?” He stuttered.

“It’s cute how you act like you don’t know…” The Hart heiress grinned smugly. She leaned ever closer, her warm breath hitting his face. “We’re gonna sneak into the infirmary!”

“W-what?!”

“You heard me!” Electra let go of him. “We’re gonna get in there and find out what Salazar is trying to hide. I can’t do this without you.”

Thomas sighed in relief. “I see… That’s totally what I thought you meant too. No alternative interpretations whatsoever!”

“Good, I’m glad we came together… to an understanding!” Electra rubbed her hands together, coming up with a scheme on the fly. “When your geeky friend stops being butthurt, tell him about the plan too. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

When night fell, the plan was set in motion. Thomas and Hiroyuki quietly got out of their dorm room, carefully navigating the dark hallways of IDA with flashlights in their hands. They knew exactly what would happen if they got caught violating the curfew; They would get suspended immediately, no questions asked. The very thought sent shivers down their spines, yet the looming threat of suspension also made this little jaunt of theirs feel more exciting!

Finally, they made it to the rendezvous point, where they found a rather smug-looking Electra already waiting for them. “Took you guys long enough to get here!” She smirked.

“Don’t start! This place becomes like a maze in the middle of the night. Turns out all hallways look the same when there’s no people in them.” Thomas responded, trying to keep his voice as low as possible. “Anyway, what’s with the posse?” He questioningly added, pointing his flashlight at the two male students that were accompanying Electra.

“I told you, we’re gonna need all the help we can get.” The young woman replied. “These two will be our lookouts. They’ll stand outside the door, and if they see anyone approaching, they’ll warn us by making cat noises or something.”

“How would a stray cat end up in a school on a remote island?” Hiroyuki pondered aloud.

“It took a boat, that’s not important!” Electra said, before pointing at the infirmary door behind her. “What’s important right now is getting through that locked door. Any suggestions, boys?”

“Allow me.” Force Strix flew over to a control panel that was next to the door, thoroughly examining it. “Hmm, the lock appears to be voice-activated, as I suspected. Step aside, children. This trick I learned from Mimicry Lanius…” The mechanical owl audibly cleared their throat. When they next spoke, their voice was identical to that of Chancellor Salazar von Goldsmith. “Door open.”

The door automatically opened with a loud clicking sound, allowing entry inside, much to Electra’s delight. “Sweet! I knew I made the right call by bringing you along!”

“You flatter me, young lady.” Force Strix replied in their own voice.

The Plant-type user turned back to the two yet-to-be-named students she had brought with her. “You two, stay back here and remember what we discussed! Cat noises!”

“Yes, ma’am!” They both saluted.

Once Electra, Thomas, Hiroyuki and Force Strix had gotten inside the infirmary, the atmosphere shifted… The room felt cold and sterile, as if it was devoid of life. Waving their flashlights around, they eventually found a hunched figure sitting in the corner; Bound to a wheelchair, with a portable IV injected into his arm, was a deathly pale teen whose glassy eyes didn’t so much as blink when the light directly illuminated his face.

“I guess we’ve found Fin Dorsal, but why is he a vegetable?” Electra waved her hand in front of the wheelchair-bound teen’s eyes, once again eliciting no meaningful reaction.

Thomas pointed his flashlight at Fin’s blue mohawk, squinting at it. “Wait a minute… I remember this guy! He was the one who made fun of Aster during Prof. Kingsley’s class.”

“Wow, you’d have to be a special kind of dirtbag to make fun of a kid with a height problem!” The Hart heiress mused. “I don’t feel that bad for him, if that’s the case.”

“You should, young lady, for this child has suffered a fate worse than death.” Force Strix landed on top of Fin’s mohawk. “I sense no Ki energy emanating from him. That can only mean that his soul has been taken out of his body.”

“What on earth is Ki energy?” Thomas cluelessly asked.

“So you’re telling me that this guy has been turned into a soulless husk? How is that even possible?” Electra added.

“With magic… Powerful, sinister magic.” The mechanical owl explained.

Thomas placed a hand on his chin. “The cause of Fin’s ‘accident’ was supernatural, huh? No wonder the doctors here can’t do much about it.”

“But, only Duel Spirits can wield magic of that magnitude…” Hiroyuki muttered in a state of shock and disbelief. “Could a Duel Spirit have been involved in this?”

“Without a doubt…” Force Strix grimly confirmed.

Horrifying screams suddenly echoed from the hallway, abruptly interrupting their banter. The group worriedly rushed outside, only to find their two lookouts sprawled over the floor. “Felix! Bob!” Electra cried in terror. “Darn it! Those two were useless!”

Force Strix landed near their motionless bodies. “No Ki energy… Their souls have already been taken.”

“Again, what is Ki energy?” Thomas insisted on asking. “Sounds like a pretty esoteric term to just throw out there with no explanation.”

Hiroyuki went pale as a sheet. “I think we have an even bigger problem… Look!” He pointed his flashlight at the wall directly across them, where a disturbing message had been written in dripping, deep red liquid.

‘LET THE SHADOW GAMES BEGIN. KILL OR BE KILLED.’

The Bujin player felt cold sweat dripping down his face. “‘Shadow Games’? Please tell me this isn’t blood…”

“We need to get away from here NOW!” The Hart heiress yelled.

“Wait! What about them?” Hiro pointed at the two passed out students. “We can’t leave them behind!”

“Listen to me!” The platinum blonde grabbed him by the shoulders. “If their souls have been taken, there’s nothing we can do for them! We’re only painting a bigger target on our backs the longer we stay here! If you don’t wanna end up like them, put one foot in front of the other, rinse and repeat! That’s called running! Even a toddler knows that!”

There was no use trying to refute her words. She was right. As much as they hated doing so, the group ran away, leaving their fallen peers behind in order to save themselves.

After the sounds of their hasty footsteps faded out, a new, feminine figure leisurely walked past the infirmary, stopping right in front of the wall. Black hair that was a disheveled mess, a dainty frame, and a face obscured by shadow. Her reaction to reading the threatening message wasn’t one of dread, like the other kids, but rather of rejoicing and admiration. Black lips parted to reveal a twisted grin.

“Hell yeah!”


	4. Black and White

To knock or not to knock… That was the impasse Evangeline Lance had found herself at, but after much deliberation she finally raised her hand and knocked on the door lightly.

Several seconds passed before the door opened, revealing a fully clothed, very untidy Thomas. “Eva… What are you doing here?” He tiredly asked.

The red-haired girl was visibly shocked to see him in such a state. “My goodness… What happened to you?” She asked in turn.

“Let’s just say I had a… really bad night.” The youth replied. The bags under his eyes were proof of the fact, showing a definite lack of sleep.

Evangeline looked at him with pity. “Poor thing… Anyway, I came here to return the book you let me borrow in Prof. Page’s class yesterday.” She handed said book back to him.

“Thanks… I’d completely forgotten about it.” Thomas nodded in appreciation. “You should probably get going now. Girls aren’t supposed to be in the boys’ dorm. I don’t want you to get in trouble and all… But, if you’d like, we could hang out after today’s classes are over.”

The girl’s face was illuminated by a bright smile. “I’d love to!” Her smile quickly dropped. “But I can’t… I promised Aster that I would hang out with him today.”

“Oh… That’s fine. Perhaps another time then…” A clearly disappointed Thomas said.

“I’ll be going now. Thanks again for the book.” Eva said.

“No problem… Bye.”

After the redhead was gone, the Bujin player repeatedly slammed his own head against his now closed door. “Of course she had plans with Aster! Stupid Thomas! Stupid, stupid, stupid!” He berated himself. After cooling off, he walked up to his roommate, who had been glued to his laptop that entire time. “Dude, you really need to get at least a power nap before classes start. You look even crappier than I do!”

“I can’t afford to rest!” A very agitated and sleep-deprived Hiroyuki retorted. “I spent all night searching, but I couldn’t find anything on those ‘Shadow Games’. Even my acquaintances back at the Eastern Duel Spirit Republic knew nothing about it.”

Thomas scowled deeply. “Just let it go already! I DON’T WANT to know what the Shadow Games are! I don’t care! I just wanna forget that last night ever happened, and go back to living a normal life!” Following his outburst, he sat down on their bunk bed, rubbing his eyes and temples. “Sorry about that… I didn’t mean to lash out on you.”

“It’s fine. We’re both under a lot of stress…” The Asian youth sighed, closing his laptop.

A sharp knock on the door cut their little heart-to-heart short. A mildly puzzled Thomas got up and opened it, only for his confusion to turn into dumbstruck shock when he saw who it was on the other end. “C-Chancellor Goldsmith?! What brings you here?”

“Allow me to get straight to the point, Mr. Folliot.” The white-suited man said in a cruelly cold tone. “What were you and your friends doing around 11:30 pm last night?”

Thomas felt his throat becoming dry. “What do you mean what were we doing? We were sleeping in our rooms of course!” He falsely claimed.

“You will find that I possess surveillance footage that proves otherwise.” Salazar countered, furrowing his brow. “Two more students have been hospitalized. That adds up to three casualties in the span of a week. I swore that when I found the one responsible, I would not hesitate to bring them into a world of pain… even if you’re just children.”

“We didn’t do it! I swear!” The Bujin player stepped forward.

Hiroyuki stood next to him, bowing his head deeply. “We’re terribly sorry for breaking the rules, sir, but we didn’t hurt those students! You have to believe us!”

The Chancellor of IDA stared at them intensely with his glinting, emerald-colored eyes. Several seconds that felt more like aeons passed before he spoke again. “I believe you. However! That doesn’t alter the fact that you violated the curfew. Therefore, you leave me with no choice but to suspend both of you, as well as Ms. Hart.” He decreed, his words coming off almost as a death sentence to the two frightened freshmen. “I warned you not to test me.” He added with a disdainful sneer.

“That won’t be needed, Mr. Goldsmith.” A slightly baritone, feminine voice sounded, followed by high heels clicking against the floor. A woman in a white lab coat appeared, her hair that was equal parts black and white having been braided sideways.

Salazar turned towards her with a bewildered look. “Mrs. Faraday?”

“Nobody needs to be suspended here. This has all been a terrible misunderstanding.” The monochrome-haired woman said. “You see, I asked these children to do a few errands for me that took them longer than anticipated. That’s why they weren’t in their beds by the time the curfew went into effect. I should have notified you. That was a major oversight on my part, but certainly not one they need to be punished for.”

Despite clearly having his doubts about whether her story was true, Salazar’s expression did soften somewhat. “I see… Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” He then turned back to the two youths, only to narrow his eyes at them again. “You’re in the clear for now, but don’t think for a second that this means you can do here as you please. I’ll be watching you.” He warned them, before turning on his heel and walking off.

After making sure that the Chancellor was out of their eyes’ reach, Thomas turned to their unexpected, but very welcome savior. “Thanks for bailing us outta this one, Mrs…?”

“Alice Faraday, Professor of Summoning Mechanics.” The woman introduced herself, smiling warmly at the two boys. “And there’s no need to thank me. I just hate seeing young and promising students being denied the right to education before they can reach their full potential.” She added.

“Faraday… That name sounds familiar…” Hiroyuki mused aloud. “Isn’t that the last name of Jovie’s friend, Cassandra?”

Alice’s smile widened. “Ah, you have met my daughter, haven’t you? I hope she hasn’t given you much trouble…”

“None at all, ma’am.” Thomas reassured her.

“I’m glad to hear that… Take care, children. I look forward to teaching you about all the different summoning mechanics in your Second Year.” The motherly professor said, waving goodbye at them.

Having gotten off to a rocky start aside, the rest of the day proceeded smoothly, with both Thomas and Hiro somehow managing to stay awake through all of their classes, in spite of being severely deprived of sleep. By the end of it all, the two exhausted First Year students returned to their dorm room, only to plop onto their respective beds fully clothed and immediately fall into a deep, well-deserved slumber…

An undisclosed amount of time later, Thomas’ phone rang, rudely rousing him from his hibernating state. “Hello…?” He lethargically answered it.

 _“Thomas, I think I’ve found a lead!”_ A feminine voice came from the other end with a hefty amount of static.

The youth tiredly rubbed his eyes. “Electra? Where are you? Your signal’s kinda messed up.”

 _“I’m in the boiler room! I saw a shady-looking figure getting down here!”_ Electra told him.

Thomas’ eyes widened. “The boiler room?! Wait, what time is it…” He quickly looked outside the window. It was distinctly nighttime. “You broke curfew again?! Do you have any idea how much trouble we got into for doing it the first time?! We almost got suspended!” He yelled.

_“You don’t have to worry about it this time! When I catch this soul-snatching criminal, Salazar will actually THANK me!”_

“It’s too dangerous! What if you get attacked? You need to get outta there right now!”

_“Too late! I’m going after them!”_

“No, wait! Listen to me! ELECTRA!”

The caller hung up, leaving the boy clutching his beeping phone tightly. “Darn it… So much for living a normal life!”

“What happened, Thomas-san?” Hiroyuki and Force Strix both leaned over his head.

“Electra thinks she’s found whoever’s been attacking students in the middle of the night, and she’s gonna try taking them down all on her own.” Thomas explained, climbing off the bed and fetching his Duel Disk. “I warned her about the risks, but she wouldn’t listen to me. I don’t care if we get threatened with suspension again, we HAVE to find her before it’s too late!”

The boiler room of IDA was massive, to say the least. It had to be in order to support the equally massive structure that was the main school building, housing the highly advanced equipment needed for its daily activity. The two youths had to navigate through a seemingly endless maze of pipes and complex machinery in the hopes of locating their missing friend.

“Electraaaaa! Where are you?” Thomas hollered, while waving his flashlight around.

“Force Strix, can you see her?” Hiroyuki asked his avian partner, who flew above their heads.

“I haven’t found anything yet, I’m afraid.” The mechanical bird replied.

Hearing a sudden, curt scream coming from directly below them, the group rushed to a lower level of the structure, which was primarily filled with several heaters and generators of various sizes. There, they saw Electra with her wrists bound together with duct tape. She was being held hostage by a young woman with messy, jet black hair.

“Electra, you’re alive! Thank goodness!” The Bujin player exclaimed, only for his relief to give way to anger, as he glared at the girl’s captor. “Let her go!” He shouted.

The black-haired kidnapper merely grinned at him. “What do we have here? Someone came to save you after all, princess!” She said, while cupping Electra’s chin.

“Sorry, Tom… Guess I should’ve listened to you on the phone.” The Hart heiress tried to jest in her current predicament. “I thought I could get the jump on her, but then she hit me from behind. She didn’t even give me a chance to Duel her.”

“Are you the one who keeps attacking students and stealing their souls?” Thomas demanded to know.

“If I was, do you think your friend would still be standing?” The black-haired girl pointed out.

“Then, who are you?” Hiroyuki inquired. “Are you a student here?” He guessed based on the fact that she appeared to be roughly the same age as them.

“Technically, no. You can call me Isabella.” The girl introduced herself. “It’s funny that you mentioned the Shadow Duelist, because I’ve been dying to meet them myself!” She added with an unhinged chuckle, pulling the captive Electra in front of her. “In fact, I thought about using your little friend here to lure them out! Nothing draws wolves more effectively than the scent of fresh meat!”

“You’re gonna use me as bait?! Over my dead body!” The Hart heiress snarled.

“That’s the whole idea, princess!” Isabella began cackling maniacally.

“She is too far gone to be reasoned with… It appears there were more malicious threats lurking in IDA than we thought.” Force Strix mused, landing on Hiroyuki’s shoulder.

Thomas gritted his teeth. “How about we start dealing with those threats! If we work together, we can take her on! Right, Hiro?”

“Right!” The Raidraptor player determinately nodded, readying his Duel Disk.

“It’s on then!” Isabella tossed Electra to the side, who fell on the floor with a sharp cry. “It’s time to DUEL!”

“I’ll go first!” Thomas declared, drawing his opening hand. A glowing, bronze suit of armor soon appeared on the field. “I summon Bujin Yamato and end my turn. During my End Phase, Bujin Yamato’s effect activates, allowing me to add Bujingi Crane from my deck to my hand, then send Bujingi Hare from my hand to the graveyard.”

“My turn! Draw!” Hiroyuki declared. “Come out, Raidraptor Vanishing Lanius, and Raidraptor Tribute Lanius!” A pair of mechanical vultures emerged on the field, a sequence of rapid effect activations culminating in a brilliant summon from the Extra Deck. “XYZ SUMMON! Appear and come forth, Rank 4, Raidraptor Force Strix!” Duel Spirit and hologram became one and the same, as Force Strix manifested on the field as a controllable monster.

“By detaching an Xyz material from Force Strix, I add Raidraptor Sharp Lanius from my deck to my hand.” Hiroyuki continued his turn. “Lastly, I’ll set one card face-down. Turn end.”

Electra wolf-whistled. “Dang, dude! How many effects can you activate in one turn?”

“I drew a bad hand.” The Asian youth humbly admitted.

“If that was a bad hand, I’d hate to see what you could do with a good hand!” The platinum blonde remarked.

“You should focus on what I can do instead, because it’s my turn now!” Isabella scoffed, drawing a card. “Say, are you afraid of ghosts? My sister is terrified of them, and with good reason… Welcome to Zombie World, a land where the immortal undead constantly struggle for supremacy!” With the simple activation of a Field Spell card, the Dueling terrain shifted into a gloomy gravesite filled with countless tombstones. The ground was littered with skulls and discarded bones, while the few barren trees that existed in this realm were made up of rotting flesh and various body parts that had been twisted into unspeakable configurations.

As they were enveloped in the unholy miasma that filled the air in this necrotic world, Thomas’ and Hiroyuki’s monsters doubled up in pain. Force Strix’s metallic frame rusted rapidly, and they started drooling green, corrosive fluid from their beak. Bujin Yamato’s armor lost much of its luster, its glowing bits changing color to an ominous, blood-red hue.

“What is happening to our monsters?!” A bewildered Thomas cried out.

“While Zombie World is active, all monsters on the field and in our graveyards become Zombie-type.” Isabella explained, smiling sinisterly.

“Oh no, this is bad… It means I can no longer activate my face-down Icarus Attack.” Hiro whispered to his teammate.

“And I can’t use my Bujingi Crane or my Bujingi Hare.” Thomas added.

Isabella proceeded to show them the might of her ‘immortal undead’ deck, hitting them turn after turn with an onslaught of constantly resurrecting Zombie-type monsters; From horrifying mutants and decaying corpses, to high-leveled behemoths that disrupted their plays or brainwashed their monsters and brought them over to her side, Isabella’s offense was relentless, driving the two young Duelists into a corner.

“There’s no end to them…” Thomas winced, while looking worriedly at his low Life Point count. “Every time we manage to destroy one of her Zombies, she brings it back.”

“Let me remind you two dorks that my life depends on the outcome of your Duel!” Electra snarkily told them. “So what if she can keep bringing her monsters back from the graveyard? You have cards in your decks that can do the same! Stop moping around, find a way to turn her aggressive playstyle against her, and send her army of rejected horror game baddies back to the netherworld!”

With a meaningful nod, Thomas thanked the Hart heiress for her unconventional pep talk. “Right! We can’t afford to lose when the stakes are this high… It’s my turn again!” He roared, drawing a new card from his deck. “I’ll start by activating Pot of Avarice! By shuffling my Bujin Hirume, Bujin Mikazuchi, Bujin Arasuda and Bujingi Crane, as well as Hiro’s Raidraptor Force Strix, from our graveyard back into our decks, I can draw 2 cards! Next, I’ll activate the Spell card Bujincarnation, allowing me to Special Summon the Bujin Yamato that’s in my graveyard, as well as my banished Bujingi Hare!” The two designated targets manifested on the field, immediately mutating thanks to Zombie World’s effect. “Monsters that are summoned by Bujincarnation’s effect cannot be used as materials for an Xyz Summon, unless the Xyz monster’s type is Beast, Beast-Warrior OR Winged Beast! Hiro, I’ll let you do the honors…” The Bujin player said with a confident smirk.

The Raidraptor player smiled back at him. “With pleasure! My turn! Draw! I’ll build the overlay network with Thomas’ two monsters, in order to Xyz Summon the monster that was added back into my Extra Deck by the effect of Pot of Avarice! Welcome back, Raidraptor Force Strix!” Hiroyuki’s trusty partner emerged from a brilliant vortex of light. “Now, I activate the Spell card Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force! This allows me to Rank-Up my Raidraptor Force Strix into an Xyz monster that’s 2 Ranks higher! Appear and come forth, Rank 6, Raidraptor Revolution Falcon!” A large, mechanical falcon boomingly came into being, generating a powerful gust of wind by flapping its expansive, aircraft-like wings.

“Raidraptor Revolution Falcon can attack all of your monsters at once!” Hiroyuki explained, outstretching his arm. “In addition, if you control any monsters that were Special Summoned, their Attack and Defense points become zero during the Damage Step!”

“NO! This can’t be happening!” Isabella screamed, as Revolution Falcon’s multiple attacks decimated her entire lineup of undead behemoths, finally depleting her remaining Life Points.

“Now that’s more like it! Great job, you two!” Electra cheered.

After all of the holograms disappeared, a defeated Isabella struggled back up, only for a luminous sigil to appear beneath her feet. “I guess this is my cue to leave!” She chuckled, her body slowly sinking into the magical circle, as if being swallowed up by quicksand.

“Wait!” Thomas dashed towards her, but she vanished before he could catch up to her, and so did the mysterious sigil. “Darn it! She escaped!”

“Something tells me this might not be the last time we run into Ms. Isabella and her legions of the dead.” Force Strix mused, having switched back into their Duel Spirit form.

Hiroyuki sighed. “It can’t be helped… That aside, how do you feel after that Duel?” He asked his partner.

“I feel quite good, actually!” The mechanical owl jovially replied. “Those Restrict Sleeves really do work as advertised. I didn’t feel any pain at all!”

“Not that I don’t feel happy for you, but I could use a little help here.” Electra chimed in, pointing to her still bound wrists.

“On it!” Thomas kneeled next to her and began to carefully remove the duct tape.

“Thanks, by the way…” The girl smiled at him. “I really hated being the damsel in distress in this scenario, but I don’t know what I would’ve done without you guys.”

“Don’t mention it, Electra-san.” Hiro smiled in turn. “We’re just glad that you’re okay.”

Isabella reappeared inside a poorly-lit office, being greeted with the distinct sound of approaching high heels. “What am I going to do with you?” A soft sigh escaped Prof. Alice Faraday’s lips. “Do you know how taxing it is for me to spellcast these days? Honestly, what were you doing accepting a 2v1 Duel in the first place?” She chastised the Zombie Duelist like an overbearing parent.

The black-haired girl narrowed her eyes at the older woman. “I would have won, if only I had used… that.” She said.

“You’re not ready to use it yet.” Alice sternly told her. “The sun is almost up… Go to sleep, your sister will take it from here. Or do you need me to remind you what happens when you disobey me?”

“Are you sending me back into my cage, Mother?” Isabella scoffed, walking away from the matriarchal figure. “Mark my words… Someday I will be freed from her.”

“Yes you will, my daughter… Then our revenge can finally begin taking form.”

“And those who rejected God shall draw breath nevermore…”


	5. Evangeline’s Awakening

Today was the day, Thomas Folliot thought. Emboldened by his recent victory over the mysterious Zombie-type specialist Isabella, he felt like he could take on anyone and anything, including the toughest challenge a teenager could face - interacting with one’s crush! He had already rehearsed what he was going to say. Like any good Duelist, he had optimized his strategy after spending hours studying the dating metagame!

So, what went wrong? For starters, practicing in front of a mirror wasn’t the same thing as talking to someone face to face. As soon as Thomas approached Evangeline in the school cafeteria, all of his confidence evaporated, reducing him to a sweating, stammering buffoon. “H-hi, Eva… F-fancy meeting you here!” He awkwardly waved.

“Hello, Thomas.” The crimson-haired girl waved back almost mechanically. “How are you feeling today?”

“Better, better… So, I’ve been wondering…” Thomas timidly rubbed the back of his head. “I know we’ve only known each other for a week and haven’t talked a whole lot, but… I’ve been thinking about you lately… a lot! This is probably very sudden, buuut…” He failed to finish his sentence. He tried to ask the question, but all that got out of his mouth was a nervous croak.

Evangeline stared at him with genuine concern. “What are you trying to say?”

Suddenly, Aster stormed in, looking like he had just run a marathon. He took a moment to catch his breath, leaning against the table, while panting heavily. “Eva… I’m glad I’ve found you… I’m not sure how to say this, so I’ll just ask…” He looked straight into the girl’s eyes, blushing profusely. “Eva, I really, really like you! Will you have a date with me?”

“A date…?” Evangeline covered her mouth in shock.

Thomas’ jaw practically reached the floor. “Wait, I was gonna ask her that!” He exclaimed.

“Too bad for you! I asked first!” The white-haired boy childishly stuck his tongue out at him.

“What are you, five?” The other youth turned towards him. “Whatever… We should let Eva decide who she’s gonna date, if anyone. That’s the right thing to do.”

The girl visibly squirmed. “B-but, I like you both… Do I have to pick one?”

“You kinda do… You can’t date two people at the same time.” Thomas pointed out.

“I have a better idea!” Aster faced the Bujin player, having to look up due to their height difference. “We should have a Duel, and the winner gets to date Eva.” He proposed.

“How about I smash your face in next time you try to treat Eva like a trophy!”

“Careful, Tom… You really don’t wanna mess with me.”

“Or you’ll do what, Aster?” Thomas snapped at the boy, narrowing his eyes at him. “Now that I think about it, the last guy who messed with you ended up in the infirmary. I’m beginning to think that’s not a coincidence…”

Aster let out an eerie giggle. “Heeheehee… Why don’t you Duel me and find out?”

“Nobody is Dueling anyone here!” Prof. Ruby Yang intervened, separating the two antagonistic youths. “You boys are wasting your time anyway. Who would wanna date a dirty thief?” The buxom teacher added, while straightening her deliberately tight-fitting uniform.

“I’m not a thief!” Evangeline objected.

“Oh yeah? Then how do you explain this?” Ruby revealed a Duel Monsters deck held in her hand, spreading the cards apart to demonstrate that it was filled with nothing but Normal monsters. “I confiscated your deck for your own good, and how did you thank me? By stealing it behind my back!” Her expression soured. “This is why I hate disadvantaged children… You think you can get away with anything! Well, not anymore! Give me your deck right now, missy!” She demanded, extending her palm.

Evangeline’s hand reflexively moved to her deck box. “No! These are the cards my mother gave me before she passed away, and this is the deck I built with Aster’s help! I won’t let anyone take it away from me again!” She declared.

“Fine! You can play with your stupid deck all you want… in detention, that is!” Prof. Yang grabbed her by the arm. “I bet your mother isn’t even dead, you pathological liar!”

“Hold up, this is clear abuse of power! You can’t do this!” Thomas tried to intervene.

“If you have a complaint, sweetie, you’re free to talk to Chancellor Goldsmith about it.” The blonde bombshell of a professor smiled fakely at him.

“Maybe I will!” Thomas impulsively said, but after recollecting how his last encounter with the stern Chancellor of IDA had turned out, his shoulders sank. “On second thought, I’ll pass…”

“Good, that’s what I thought…” Ruby cooed, before yanking Eva’s arm. “Now follow me, you juvenile skank!”

“Let go of me! You’re hurting me!” The girl cried as she was forcefully dragged away.

Thomas watched the two of them go with a frustrated expression. “Geez… How did that woman even get hired as a teacher?” He then looked to his side, only to realize that a certain someone was missing. “Aster…? Huh, weird… I wonder where he ran off to.”

That night, the Deck-Building classroom was empty, save for Prof. Yang and the detained Evangeline Lance. The poor girl was surrounded by dozens of boxes filled with Duel Monsters cards, which she had been forced to sort alphabetically and by type - those being Main Deck monsters, Extra Deck monsters, Spells and Traps - as part of her cruel and unusual punishment.

“Ms. Yang, can I go now?” The First Year student asked in a pleading tone. “The curfew is already in effect… I should be in bed by now.”

“You can’t leave until you finish sorting those boxes, sweetie.” Ruby replied nonchalantly, all the while sitting by her desk and reading a fashion magazine. “When kids open booster packs, they usually throw away any Common cards that they find. As a result, we’re always left with thousands of unused cards that we then have to organize.” She casually explained. “Sometimes they even throw away Rare cards… I mean, who would wanna use War Rock?”

The red-haired girl pouted. “Is it even legal for detention to last this long?”

“I dunno.” Ruby shrugged indifferently. The lights then started flickering in and out, prompting her to take her eyes off the magazine that she’d been reading. “Huh? If this is some kid playing a prank, I swear--”

A ventilation grille fell on the floor with a resounding thud, a cloaked figure gracefully landing on top of it. The figure in question took their hood off to reveal a familiar head of white hair.

“A-Aster Rothschild?! What are you doing here? How did you… Where… I have so many questions!” Prof. Yang cried out in bewilderment.

Evangeline, on the other hand, was visibly elated to see the boy’s face, her despondency giving way to hope.

Blatantly ignoring the screeching professor’s inquiries, Aster made a beeline to Eva, grabbing a nearby chair as he did, and standing on top of it to nullify their height difference. Once they were at about the same eye level, he gently held the girl’s face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. While surprised at first, the girl reciprocated the kiss to the best of her ability and meekly wrapped her arms around his back.

To say that Ruby Yang was furious by their conduct would be an understatement. “Stop that, you two! Stop that right now! You’re too young! I only got my first kiss when I was 20, and I’m WAY prettier than you, missy!” She yelled in a borderline hysteric state.

Evangeline broke the kiss. Her cheeks had almost turned the same color as her hair, while she breathed heavily. “Aster… You love me…” She muttered.

“Heeheehee! Of course I do!” The white-haired boy laughed softly. “Would I go through so much trouble to help you if I didn’t love you?”

“STOP IGNORING ME!” Ruby roared. “You two are gonna get punished for your indecency!”

“The only one who should be punished is you!” Evangeline snapped, glaring daggers at the older woman. “You’re so mean and shallow! You do nothing but belittle people around you and treat them horribly! There’s nothing decent about you!”

Aster lowered his head and smiled sinisterly, his eyes being obscured by his ivory locks. “Do you trust me, Eva?” He asked.

“With my life!” The girl answered with no hesitation.

“Then I’ll grant you the power to give that woman exactly what she deserves…” An otherworldly, purple aura enveloped the boy’s small frame, while a dark, evil fog filled the room. “I’ll grant you the ability to initiate Shadow Games!”

“What’s this?! What’s happening to the room?!” A dumbfounded Ruby looked around her.

“The rules of a Shadow Game are simple…” Aster began to explain, sitting on his chair with one leg crossed over the other. “Two people must Duel each other 1v1. Neither player is allowed to surrender. The winner gets to decide a Penalty Game to inflict on the loser.”

“I accept those terms!” Evangeline declared, slotting her deck into her Duel Disk and activating it. One could tell simply by looking at her eyes that she was no longer just a demure, soft-spoken young lady. She was now defined by newfound determination and a conviction that she was in the right.

“I’m not sure where you found hologram projectors that can make such realistic smoke effects, but I wouldn’t mind having a Duel to pass the time.” The blonde professor said, activating her own, pink-colored Duel Disk.

Thus, the Shadow Game began… With an uncanny degree of focus on her plays, Eva steadily controlled the pace of the game by setting her Flip monsters in face-down Defense position and waiting for them to be attacked in order to activate their effects, which either punished the opponent’s monsters in some fashion or netted her card advantage.

“Now I have all the cards I need. I activate Prediction Ritual, tributing Pot of The Forbidden from my hand, in order to Ritual Summon Prediction Princess Tarotrei!” A towering, multi-armed, humanoid figure ascended unto the field, garbed in a long, purple dress and a matching fortune-teller’s turban. “During the End Phase, I activate Prediction Princess Tarotrei’s effect to Special Summon Pot of The Forbidden from my graveyard in face-down Defense Position.” Tarotrei’s additional limbs reached into the ground below, pulling out a larger-than-life card that was set face-down alongside Eva’s other concealed monsters.

For being an instructor in one of the top Dueling schools in the world, Ruby Yang seemed oblivious to basic principles that every good Duelist followed, such as managing her resources and not overextending. Rather than taking the Duel seriously, she seemed more preoccupied with gushing over her ‘Crystal Beast’ monsters - colorful animals named after precious minerals that shared the peculiar effect of being turned into shiny gemstones upon destruction and staying on the field as Continuous Spell cards.

“Gosh, look how cute my Amethyst Cat is! I could pet her pink fur all day long! And my Ruby Carbuncle is the cutest, because she’s named after me! Unlike my Emerald Tortoise, who looks old and ugly… He reminds me of my lousy sister Esmeralda.”

While being distracted by her own monsters, the blonde bimbo failed to notice that the more they Dueled, the thicker the shadowy fog surrounding them grew…

“It’s time to wrap this up, Eva!” Aster said, enjoying the show from his front row seat. “Why don’t you use the card I gave you? It’s useful for more than just tribute fodder, you know.”

Evangeline nodded at him with a smile. “I will. Thank you, Aster… for letting me experience this moment.” She then turned back to her opponent with a resolute look. “Prediction Princess Tarotrei has another effect! Once per turn, she can flip one face-down monster face-up. And since Pot of The Forbidden is a Flip monster, that means its effect activates!” A gigantic, ancient jar appeared on the field. Its lid opened with a loud creak, revealing a single glowing eyeball peeking from inside, as well as a huge mouth filled with pointy teeth.

The colorful gemstones that adorned Prof. Yang’s side of the field vanished one after the other. “Oh no! My adorable Crystal Beasts! What’s happening?!” The woman panicked.

“What’s happening is you losing everything!” The younger Duelist exclaimed. “Prediction Princess Tarotrei, Pot of The Forbidden! Attack my opponent directly and end this Duel!”

Aster clapped his hands slowly after the Duel’s conclusion. “Well done, Eva! I knew you could do it! Now comes the best part, heeheehee! You get to choose how that sow will get punished!” He said with an unsettling giggle.

“Punishment… So that’s the meaning of a Penalty Game.” Eva nodded in understanding.

“W-wait, what kind of punishment are we talking about exactly?” Ruby fearfully asked, before tendrils made out of shadows coiled around her wrists and ankles, completely restraining her. “W-what are those?! Let me go!” She cried, as the peril of her situation finally sank in.

The boy’s laugh got louder and more distorted. “Look how scared she is! So, what should happen to her, Eva? Should she burst into flames, be devoured by bloodthirsty monsters, or have her lungs filled with sulfuric acid?” He made various spontaneous suggestions, each more disturbing than the last.

“Please, let me go! I’ll do anything you want!” The restrained woman tearfully begged.

Aster walked up to Evangeline and affectionately hugged her side. “The only limit to what a Penalty Game can involve is your own imagination.” He stood on his tiptoes, in order to whisper into her ear. “That’s the true power of the Shadow Games… The power to decide people’s fates! Don’t you wanna have that power?” He tempted her like a young incubus.

The Prediction Princess user stared at her defeated opponent without an iota of mercy. “I have decided… Intelligence is a gift, Ruby Yang, and you have done nothing but diminish the gift of others, including yourself. You’re not deserving of this gift anymore, therefore you shall lose it…” She outstretched her arm, malevolent energies swelling in the palm of her hand. “Mind Crush!” She yelled, shattering Ruby’s fragile sanity as if it were glass.

The shadowy fog dissipated. The woman’s bindings were undone, and she collapsed on her knees. She gaped around her with a mortified expression - as if the entire world suddenly seemed alien to her - but when she tried to vocalize her distress, all that came out of her mouth were unintelligible grunts and moans that barely resembled human speech.

“She has mentally regressed to a newborn baby.” Evangeline mused, now staring at the older woman with sheer contempt. “If she’s lucky, she’ll learn how to talk and live on her own from scratch. If not, she’ll stay like this forever…” A demented grin crept upon her lips. “You were right, Aster. This power is incredible!”

“Mhm!” The white-haired youth jovially nodded. “I dunno why, but I find you really attractive right now! Heeheehee!” He said with yet another giggle.

The two embraced each other and made out passionately, casting away their childhood to become adults…

“Get a room for crying out loud!” A new voice sounded.

Aster swiftly turned around and activated his Duel Disk. “Who’s there? What did you see?” He asked in a threatening tone, his eyes being those of a cold-blooded killer.

“Relax, I’m not an enemy.” A young woman with messy, black hair waltzed in. “You can call me Isabella. Are you the big bad Shadow Duelist that’s got the entire school on its toes?”

The youth relaxed his stance, but remained cautious. “Maybe I am… Why do you ask?”

“I’m just a fan of your work.” Isabella claimed. “Though, I expected you to be a bit… taller.”

“Aster doesn’t need any admirers.” Evangeline stepped in. “If you speak to anyone about what you saw here, what happened to her is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you.” She threatened the other girl, while pointing at Ruby Yang, who had grabbed a book and was trying to chew it, soaking it with saliva in the process.

“Looks like your new girlfriend is the jealous type!” The black-haired girl snickered, sitting on top of a desk with her legs crossed. “Don’t worry, you two. Your secret is safe with me. I’m only allowed to come out at night anyway. That being said, I have one request… I want a piece of the action too! And I’m not talking about your… face-sucking action from earlier. I want the power to initiate Shadow Games!”

Aster raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Really? What makes you want that power so badly?”

Isabella covered half her face with her hand. “There’s someone in my life I need to get rid of.”


	6. A Tough Lesson

“It happened again, Jovie!” Cassandra told her roommate, while the two were having their breakfast in the school cafeteria.

Jovie gave her a puzzled look. “What happened? Did you drop your hat in the toilet again?”

“That was one time! ONE TIME!” The goth girl said defensively, while blushing. “No, what actually happened was me being possessed by a ghost again!” She claimed.

“Are you sure you’re not just dreaming the whole ghost thing up?” Jovie asked.

“Certain!” Cassandra confidently replied. “Blacking out three nights in a row isn’t a coincidence… it’s a pattern! I HAVE to write about this in my blog!” She added.

“There she is!” The Chancellor of IDA himself, Salazar von Goldsmith, approached their table. He was clad in one of his expensive suits, while wearing a very cross expression on his face. Accompanying him was a certain raven-haired, bespectacled professor.

“Hi, Chancellor Goldsmith! Hi, Prof. Kingsley! How’s your day?” Jovie cheerfully waved at the two men.

Ignoring her, Salazar glared straight at the other girl. “Cassandra Faraday… You must think that you’re very clever, don’t you?” He sneered.

“Me?” Cassandra pointed at herself, her single visible eye blinking in confusion. “I’m clever enough, I guess, but I wouldn’t say I’m too clever… Is this about my recent test scores?”

“Don’t try to play coy with me, Ms. Faraday.” The green-eyed man sternly said. “You have violated curfew several times in the past few days, and I have the surveillance footage to prove it. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“It wasn’t me!” Cassandra cried out. “I’m being possessed by a ghost every night! I have no control over my body when that happens! It’s all the ghost’s fault!”

Several silent seconds passed, as Salazar stared at her with a deadpan expression. “In all my years of working in the education sector, this has got to be the most puerile excuse I have ever heard.” He finally remarked. “I have a far more plausible theory… You’re the one behind the nightly attacks on students, and yesterday you expanded your list of victims to members of the faculty! Prof. Ruby Yang is currently in the psychiatric ward, and you have no alibi!” He accused the girl.

“Cassie is innocent!” Jovie got off her seat and walked up to the Chancellor. “I know Cassie well enough, and she would never do anything evil! It’s sad that people have gotten hurt, but blaming an innocent person is wrong and you should be ashamed of yourself!” She declared, standing up for her friend both literally and figuratively.

“Why you…” The sharply-dressed man winced, clearly hesitating to reprimand the girl for her harsh words. “Mind your manners, Ms. Williams… This doesn’t concern you.”

Cassandra said nothing to defend herself, simply hanging her head down.

“Chancellor, if I may interject…” Prof. David Kingsley spoke up after keeping silent that entire time. “To accuse Cassandra would mean incriminating her mother as well, and we both know that Mrs. Faraday wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s an outstanding teacher and a role model for her students.” He said with a slight smirk, as if his words of praise towards his colleague weren’t entirely sincere. “Her daughter shall answer for breaking curfew in due time. Right now, it is prudent that you focus your efforts on finding the real culprit. In the meantime, I could teach these girls a valuable lesson in respect… if you don’t object, of course.”

Salazar briefly contemplated his employee’s words, before nodding in approval. “Very well, Mr. Kingsley. You may proceed. Your disciplinary methods have corrected many unruly students in the past, after all.”

“‘Disciplinary methods’? What are those…?” A slightly fearful Jovie inquired.

David looked down at her, his smile widening. “You’ll find out soon enough!”

Later that day, the two girls were summoned to the enclosed Dueling arena. By the time they arrived, Prof. Kingsley was already there waiting for them, a customized Duel Disk strapped around his arm and part of his torso. “You can’t ever show up on time, can you, Ms. Williams?” He remarked in a condescending tone. “But I digress… Shall we get started?”

Jovie was surprised to see him in his Dueling gear. “That’s our punishment? A Duel?”

“Why are there no spectators in the arena?” Cassandra asked, while looking around her. “It’s usually packed with people!”

“This won’t be a show, Ms. Faraday, therefore I arranged for the arena to be empty.” The bespectacled professor responded. “I don’t consider this a ‘punishment’ either. This will be a lesson. Unfortunately, some lessons in life can only be learnt through pain.”

“So… which one of us will have to Duel you first?” Jovie inquired.

“There won’t be an order. I’ll handle you both at the same time.” David replied.

“A 2v1 Duel?! Won’t that give us an unfair advantage?” The auburn-haired girl pointed out.

“Not really.” The man simply stated.

Cassandra’s partially obscured face displayed visible concern. “Why is he so confident? I have a bad feeling about this…” She whispered to her roommate.

“Me too.” Jovie whispered back. “I dunno why, but something about him… scares me. We don’t have a choice, though. We’ll just have to do our best.” She reasoned, while shuffling her deck of brown cards.

Prof. Kingsley raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “I can’t help but notice that you don’t use Restrict Sleeves, Ms. Williams. Why is that?”

“Oh, Jovie’s deck doesn’t need them.” Cassandra casually said.

“My deck is custom-made. My Dad wanted me to have a deck modeled after all the cartoons we watched together when I was younger.” The Williams heiress clarified. “That means my cards have no Duel Spirits connected to them, so I don’t have to use Restrict Sleeves.”

“I guess it’s true what they say… The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” The dark-haired man chortled, pushing up his glasses with his index and middle finger. “Pardon me, I was just thinking aloud. Let’s not waste any more time…”

“IT’S TIME TO DUEL!” All three exclaimed in unison.

“I shall start by setting the Pendulum Scales, Qliphort Monolith and Qliphort Scout!” David asserted, activating a pair of bicolor cards. Two adjacent beams of blue and red light respectively were erected on his side of the field, strange apparatuses floating within them. “By paying 800 Life Points, I activate Qliphort Scout’s effect, allowing me to add a ‘Qli’ card from my deck to my hand. Now it’s time for a Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monsters!” Three more floating contraptions of alien design descended from a portal drawn in the air, but they would not stick around for long. “By tributing 3 monsters, I Tribute Summon Apoqliphort Towers!” True to its name, this new monster was towering, being supported by four giant pillars adorned with strange geometric shapes and lined with flashing circuitry.

“Once per turn, I can activate the effect of Apoqliphort Towers, forcing each of you to send a monster from your hand or your side of the field to the graveyard.” David explained, as the circuitry of his mechanical behemoth flashed in every color of the rainbow.

“He Tribute Summoned a monster on his first turn…” Jovie muttered in disbelief, while discarding a card from her hand.

“And he used 3 tributes to do it…” Cassandra discarded a card as well.

“Last, but not least, I shall set two cards face-down, before ending my turn.” The Qliphort user added, doing just that.

“About time! It’s my turn!” The goth girl drew a new card. Soon, two ghost-like figures appeared in front of her. “Let me introduce you to The Phantom Knights of Ancient Cloak and The Phantom Knights of Silent Boots! Now that you’re well acquainted, I’m gonna build the overlay network with them! XYZ SUMMON! Come forth, Rank 3, The Phantom Knights of Break Sword!” A mechanical horse galloped into the field, carrying a dark suit of armor on its back. In lieu of a head, blue flames spewed out of a hole on its neck.

“Apoqliphort Towers has another effect.” Prof. Kingsley interrupted her. “As long as it is on the field, all Special Summoned monsters lose 500 Attack and Defense points.” Colorful laser beams shot out of the four pillars supporting his gigantic apparatus, damaging the headless knight’s armor and forcing its statistics to drop down.

Cassandra’s black lips curved into a cocky smile. “That’s fine, he wasn’t gonna stick around anyway… I’ll activate Break Sword’s effect! By detaching an Xyz material, I can destroy one card on each side of the field! My Break Sword might go away, but he’ll take your Apoqliphort Towers with him!” She announced, as Break Sword’s armor burst from the inside, sending a large, blue fireball crashing against the opponent’s monster. Yet, the mechanical behemoth was left completely unscathed. The girl’s single visible eye widened “What?!”

“Apoqliphort Towers is unaffected by Spell or Trap card effects. It is also unaffected by the effects of monsters with a lower Level or Rank than its own.” The bespectacled professor explained in a matter-of-fact manner.

“It’s unaffected by Spells, Traps AND monster effects?! How is that possible…?” The goth girl muttered in shock.

“It says so right in the card’s text. Can’t you read?” The dark-haired man quipped.

The Phantom Knights player frowned. “When The Phantom Knights of Break Sword is destroyed, I can Special Summon two of my other Phantom Knights from the graveyard and increase their Levels by 1. I’ll bring back Ancient Cloak and Silent Boots, and end my turn.” She sighed, as her two monsters reappeared on her field and assumed a defensive stance.

“Don’t worry, Cassie, I’ve got this!” Jovie confidently said, commencing her own turn. “I’ll activate the Spell card Polymerization to fuse Prank-Kids Lampsies, Prank-Kids Dropsies and Prank-Kids Fansies from my hand! FUSION SUMMON! Zip past like a bolt of lightning, Prank-Kids Battle Butler!” Her three monsters combined into a wacky-looking, purple creature that looked like it had jumped straight out of an old cartoon, laughing hysterically and waving its large tongue to and fro. It spun around energetically, wielding a frying pan, a vacuum cleaner, a plastic spoon and a plastic fork in its four arms.

Childlike, big-headed cartoon characters made out of different elements chased each other around the field, laughing mischievously. They lived up to their description as juvenile pranksters by muddling up the players’ Life Point counts and calling more of their friends to join in on the fun, filling Jovie’s board with monsters.

“Now, if I activate Prank-Kids Battle Butler’s effect, I can destroy all monsters my opponent controls.” Jovie preemptively announced. “And since Battle Butler has the same Level as Apoqliphort Towers, that means your monster will actually be affected by this effect!”

“That WOULD be the case, if I didn’t have this…” David revealed one of his face-down cards. “By paying 1000 Life Points, I activate the Continuous Trap card, Skill Drain! As long as this card is active, the effects of all monsters on the field are negated. Naturally, my Apoqliphort Towers is unaffected by this, but the same cannot be said for your monsters.”

“Oh no… Battle Butler!” Jovie gasped, as her cartoon-like monster lost its hyperactive demeanor and sluggishly lied down in a drained state.

“While I’m at it, I’ll also activate my other Continuous Trap card… Vanity’s Emptiness!” The Qliphort user revealed his second face-down card. “This card prevents all players from Special Summoning monsters.”

Cassandra gave him a perplexed look. “You had a card that could prevent Special Summons… and you’re only activating it now?”

“True, I could have activated it much earlier, but seeing you two struggling in vain was much more entertaining!” Prof. Kingsley chuckled deeply, running a hand through his raven hair. “It was quite heroic of you to defend your friend, Ms. Williams, but as you can see, it was all futile. In the current game state, there is nothing you can do to win.”

Jovie pouted deeply. “Cassie did nothing wrong! I know it in my bones! Even if we lose this Duel, it won’t change what I know!”

“It won’t, but perhaps it will make you think twice about blindly trusting others in the future. Assuming the best of people, be they friends or family, rarely pays off…” The bespectacled professor mused.

“What’s wrong with having faith in my friends?” The Prank-Kids player retorted. “If Cassie says she didn’t hurt anyone, that’s good enough for me!”

“I dunno, Jovie…” Cassandra chimed in, her tone sounding uncharacteristically somber. “What if I DID hurt someone and I just don’t remember it? What if the ghost that possessed me… was a bad ghost?”

Jovie turned towards her with a bewildered expression. “Don’t say that! There’s no way you’d have hurt anyone, even if you got possessed by the worst ghost ever!”

“How can you be so certain of that?” The black-haired girl stared back at her.

“Answer her question, Ms. Williams. How can you be so certain?” David sternly repeated, followed by a very long pause. “I suppose I’ll give you some more time to think about it while I finish this Duel of ours.”

And finish it he did! His earlier comment about this not being a show rang true, for there was no showmanship involved in what was essentially a one-sided curb stomp. Deprived of the ability to Special Summon or use monster effects, the two young Duelists had absolutely no hope against David Kingsley’s invincible behemoth. All they could do was set their monsters in Defense position, which only delayed the inevitable. The Duel was over in a couple of turns, with the two girls kneeling on the floor in defeat.

“I’m disappointed in you two. I expected you to put up more of a fight.” The raven-haired teacher mused, while towering over them victoriously. “Oh well… Either way, I’d say that this lesson was successful enough. Wouldn’t you agree, Ms. Williams?”

Jovie narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s your problem?!” She mustered the courage to raise her voice. “Ever since I arrived at this school, you’ve been mean to me specifically! Do you hate me or something? What did I ever do to you?”

“You genuinely don’t remember a thing, do you…?” David’s glasses gleamed under the room’s artificial lighting, turning into a pair of white rectangles. “I do not hate you. As a matter of fact, I feel sorry for you, in the truest sense. People that have gone through many hardships are usually smarter and savvier than average. In a way, those hardships have helped them grow. Your growth, however, has been deliberately stunted…” He sighed, turning his back on them. “Do try to vacate this arena in the next 15 minutes. The seniors have scheduled to use it for finals practice.” He instructed them, before walking away.

Cassandra got back on her feet, helping her friend do the same. “Did you make any sense of what he just said? Because I sure didn’t!”

“I really don’t know…” A still puzzled Jovie muttered. “Anyway, Cassie… About what you said earlier regarding bad ghosts…”

“Forget about it. I was just being paranoid.” The Phantom Knights player cut her off.

“No, I wanna help you deal with it. I can’t let you go through that alone.” The Williams heiress insisted, taking gentle hold of the other girl’s hand.

The goth girl looked back at her with a baffled expression. “You’ll help me deal… with the ghost? But how…”

“We’ll figure something out together.” Jovie smiled warmly. “Isn’t that what friends do?”

“T-thank you…” Cassandra teared up.

With that, they walked out of the room together, still holding hands.


	7. Saga of the Brojama

Thomas stared up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. Eventually, he sighed and climbed off his bed, drearily going through his morning routine of washing his face and getting dressed, as if his will to live had been irreversibly damaged.

“Are you still upset about the rumors… regarding Evangeline and Aster?” His roommate, Hiroyuki, asked him, trying his best to be supportive without prodding too much.

The Bujin player let out another sigh. “I know I shouldn’t be. ‘Rejection is a part of life’ and all that… but it’s still affected me.” He mused, while tying his shoelaces. “I mean, she can choose whoever she wants, but… she could’ve at least told me about it. She has no obligation to, but it’d be nice if she did…”

A tall and athletic teen suddenly barged into their room, wearing a tight-fitting shirt that exposed his shredded physique. “The doctor is in the house! Where’s the patient?” He asked in a booming voice. “The boys outside let me know that there’s a critical case of heartbreak in here!” He added.

“That would be… me.” Thomas hesitantly raised his hand. “What’s it to you? Who are you anyway?” He puzzledly stared at the burly teen.

“The name’s Oliver Scott, also known as the ‘Brojama’!” The other youth introduced himself, flexing his beefy biceps. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me. I’ve made quite a name for myself in my 4 years of being here!”

“Ah, so you’re a senior student. I should call you Senpai then.” Hiroyuki commented.

“Darn right you should, whatever that means!” Oliver exclaimed. “I’m the warden around these parts, you dig? I’m the big dog! If anybody hurts my boys, physically OR emotionally, I’m the first one to know!” He walked up to Thomas, giving him a friendly slap on the back. “So, why do you look so bummed out, Tom, my boy? Is it because your crush, Evangeline, started dating Aster?”

Thomas’ shoulders sank. “Great, so the whole school knows about it…” He mumbled.

“Well, it’s only a rumor. Neither of them has confirmed anything, last time I checked.” The older student said. “But if it’s true, I’m happy for the little guy! He’s proof that you don’t need to have a perfect bod, like the Brojama, in order to score!”

“Even if it’s nothing but a rumor, I’m too far behind to catch up…” Thomas sullenly said.

“Aww, don’t be that way, friend.” Oliver slapped his back once more. “Lucky for you, I know just the thing that’ll heal your broken heart! A raid on the girls’ dorm!” He loudly declared.

Force Strix landed on the windowsill, tilting their head in confusion. “A raid, you said? When it comes out of your mouth, it almost sounds offensive…”

“Raiding the girls’ dormitory… What are you talking about, Senpai?” Hiro worriedly inquired.

“What do you think I’m talking about?” The self-proclaimed Brojama smirked. “Spying on girls while they sleep, snatching a panty or two, if we’re lucky… That’s how real men pass the time! We’re gonna be peeping Toms! Eh, get it?” He chuckled, gently hitting Thomas’ side with his elbow.

The Raidraptor player’s concern grew. “That plan sounds degenerate… and possibly illegal.”

“Hiro’s right! Nobody in their right mind would call this a good idea!” Thomas added. “If we get caught, we could end up being expelled - or worse - beat up by a mob of angry girls!”

“Hah! That’s the whole point! Think of the risk, the adrenaline, the excitement! It’ll heal your depression in no time!” Oliver laughed heartily, before leaning closer to the scrawnier youth. “Think about it, Tom… Haven’t you ever pondered life’s great questions? Do girls sleep separately, or cuddle together in bed? Do they wear pajamas, or sleep in their undies?”

“Undies?!” Hiro’s cheeks turned bright red. “O-on second thought, there might be merit behind Senpai’s idea!” He stammered.

“Y-yes, of course! It’s only for my own good, after all!” An equally flustered Thomas added.

“Humans… Always prone to their hormones…” Force Strix quietly mused, shaking their head in mild disapproval.

“Then it’s settled!” Oliver flashed a big, toothy grin, while wrapping his arms around the two boys. “Tonight, my brothers, we’ll embark on a quest for knowledge, glory… and voyeurism!”

Against common sense, Thomas and Hiro let their prominent teenage hormones get the best of them and snuck out of their room that night, while Force Strix stayed behind, refusing to partake in their tomfoolery. Following the Brojama’s lead, they were able to make it into the girls’ dormitory undetected, whereupon the more faint-hearted of the group began having second thoughts.

“This was a mistake… We should turn back and leave, this is wrong…” An apprehensive Hiroyuki whispered to the others.

“Don’t you dare chicken out now, Hiro! We all agreed to do this, remember?” Oliver chewed him out.

“We’re in too deep to pull back now.” Thomas nodded in agreement, placing a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “We can do this, pal. We’ve survived evil soul-snatchers and crazy, boiler room-dwelling kidnappers. This should be a piece of cake!”

A feminine giggle sounded from behind one of the doors, prompting Oliver to put his ear against it. “Oho! Sounds like some of the girls are still awake. I bet they’re chit-chatting about their crushes and other girly stuff.” He mused with an oafish laugh.

 _“Ooooooooh…”_ A wailing voice was faintly heard from inside the room.

Hiroyuki jumped up in surprise. “What was that sound?”

 _“Ooooooooh, Cassieeeeeeee…”_ The wailing voice persisted, increasing in volume.

Thomas squinted his eyes. “Wait, it sounds like Jovie’s voice… Is that Jovie’s and Cassandra’s room?”

 _“Wail for me harder, Jovie! Harder!”_ Cassandra’s voice was heard from behind the door as well, followed by an elongated moan from her roommate.

The Raidraptors player gasped. “W-what on earth is going on in there?”

“That’s… uhh… unexpected. I didn’t think Jovie and Cassandra were THAT close…” The Bujin player said, blushing heavily.

As for Oliver, his brawny form shook with excitement. “My fellow men, what we have stumbled upon is better than all the panties of the world… Many people would kill to witness what we are witnessing!” He put his hands together in prayer and looked up, tears of joy filling his eyes. “Whoever’s calling the shots up there, thank you for letting me hear this!”

“Talk, or I’ll send you up there to meet them!” The blade-shaped part of a Duel Disk was suddenly pointed against his throat. Threatening his life was none other than a certain platinum blonde.

“E-Electra?!” Thomas and Hiro stammered in shock.

The Hart heiress turned towards them with an equally bewildered expression, lowering her Duel Disk. “Guys?! What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you were raiding the girls’ dorm!”

“Yes…” Thomas hanged his head down in shame.

Electra blinked twice. “Wow… I mean, I’m obviously disgusted at you two, but also kinda impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you to do something so bold!” She remarked.

“Wait, Electra-san… This might be hypocritical of us to ask, but why are you out of your room this late?” Hiroyuki asked her.

“I heard noises outside, and I thought the Shadow Duelist might’ve been up to no good again, so I got dressed as quickly as I could.” Electra gestured to her clothes. “If a soul-snatching villain had entered my turf, I sure as heck wouldn’t let them see me in my undies!”

Oliver’s eyes lit up, like a scientist about to yell ‘Eureka’. “I knew girls slept in their undies!”

The Plant-type user narrowed her eyes at him. “Who’s this pervert again?”

“The name’s Oliver ‘Brojama’ Scott, mademoiselle!” The muscular youth replied in a terrible French accent, making a facial expression that he perceived as suave and sexy, but in actuality looked just weird.

 _“Ooooooooh, Cassieeeeeeee! I’m taking you with meeeeeeee!”_ The frantic wailing continued.

 _“Yes! Take me, Jovie! Take me!”_ An ecstatic Cassandra was heard.

Electra’s eyes widened. “What the heck is going on in there?”

“That’s what we wanted to know!” Thomas exclaimed.

“You could just walk in, you know.” Electra casually suggested. “Jovie never locks the door.”

“That wouldn’t be right… What if we startle them?” Hiroyuki pointed out.

 _“Jovie, that was amazing! Let’s do it again!”_ Cassandra’s voice sounded.

 _“We’ve been doing this for hours! I need a break… Gosh, I’m so sweaty!”_ A worn out Jovie was heard.

Oliver’s face became so red, he’d practically overheated. “I can’t take it anymore! I don’t care if I get tarred and feathered, I need to see this with my own eyes! I’M GOING IN!” He roared and kicked the door open, rushing inside, only for his titillated expression to give way to one of confusion and disappointment. “What…?”

Jovie and Cassandra were both sitting on the bed. Fully clothed. Additionally, Jovie was wearing what appeared to be a Halloween sheet ghost costume over her usual ensemble. She was startled upon seeing the intruder, of course, but still greeted him with a jovial smile. “Hello there! How’s your day?”

Electra walked into their room as well, standing next to the self-proclaimed Brojama, who looked like a man whose dreams had been broken. “Hey, Jovie. Sorry this big oaf just invaded your privacy. I couldn’t hold him back. That being said, what the heck are you wearing?”

“I was trying to keep Cassie awake, so that she won’t get possessed by a ghost again.” Jovie nonchalantly exposited. “On the spur of the moment, I used one of our bedsheets to make this costume.” She stood up and did a twirl around herself.

“Jovie pretended to be a ghost trying to drag me into the netherworld. It was freaking hilarious!” Cassandra said, barely containing her laughter.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny…” Oliver grumpily murmured.

The Williams heiress tilted her head curiously. “Why does he look so glum?”

Electra waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mind him. He was just hoping to see something a bit more… exciting. I, for one, find this pretty funny, so much so that--”

A blaring, bone-chilling scream put an abrupt stop to their banter, prompting the platinum blonde to worriedly look behind her. “Did you guys hear that?”

“Yeah.” The Brojama nodded with an uncharacteristically grave expression. “That definitely wasn’t the wailing of a ghost. It was a person!”

“I think it came from the end of the hallway…” Hiroyuki observed.

“The end of the hallway? That’s where Evangeline’s room is!” Electra said.

“Oh no… EVA!” An extremely distraught Thomas ran ahead, the rest of the group running closely behind him. What he encountered at the end of that hallway, to his utter shock, was a young woman’s body sprawled over the floor. “No… We were too late…” The youth muttered.

“Heeheehee…” An eerily familiar giggle sounded, followed by a certain white-haired boy emerging from the darkness. “Yes you were, Tom. Yes you were.”

The Bujin player stared at him with profound confusion. “Aster…? What happened to Eva?”

“What makes you think this is Eva?” Aster pushed the young woman’s limp body with his foot, rolling her over and revealing her dull, unresponsive face. She was some girl that Thomas had never met before.

“It’s not Eva… Then who is she?” The other youth inquired.

“My roommate.” The real Evangeline appeared, standing alongside Aster. “I’m sorry, Thomas. I truly didn’t mean for this to happen…” The redhead somberly said, clutching the seams of her own dress. “She saw us together, she was going to tell on us! I didn’t want to get expelled… so I had Aster Duel her… and steal her soul.”

Jovie stared at the fallen student’s body with a horrified expression. “‘Steal her soul’? What do you mean by that…?”

“What do you think she means? That girl might as well be donezo!” Electra chimed in with some cruel facts.

The Williams heiress hugged her roommate, Cassandra, and broke into tears. The goth girl did her best to comfort her, while coming to terms with the harsh reality herself.

Thomas took a shaky step back. His bafflement soon gave way to rage, as he glowered at Aster. “So you were the Shadow Duelist all along! I should have known! I thought something was fishy when Prof. Yang got attacked right after she’d given Eva detention!”

The white-haired boy barely held back a maniacal chortle. “Hah! Admit it, you were actually HAPPY when you heard about what happened to that sow! If you wielded the power that I do, you would’ve done exactly the same!” He spieled.

“Don’t you dare give him the whole ‘we are not so different’ speech, you evil pipsqueak!” Electra interjected, glaring at the boy crossly. “Three students have been hospitalized because of you. Four, if you count her in.” She pointed at the body on the floor.

Hiroyuki gritted his teeth. “Their families must be worried sick… and you’re laughing! You’re a monster!” He spat.

“Don’t talk to him like that! You don’t know what he’s been through!” Evangeline retorted.

“Why are you siding with him, Evangeline?” Thomas sternly asked her.

The red-haired girl frowned, placing a hand on her chest. “Because… I love him… and he loves me.” She answered.

“I see…” Thomas’ tone was tinged with melancholy. “So the rumors were true…”

“That’s right!” Aster boldly wrapped his arms around Eva’s waist, smirking smugly as he faced the opposing group. “She’s my girlfriend now, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

Having seen and heard enough, Oliver Scott stepped in front of the others, glaring resolutely at the evil couple. “Listen up, little dude! I don’t really understand all the talk about Shadow Duelists and stealing souls, but if you mess with the students here, you mess with the big dog! And the big dog is all bark and ALL bite!” He declared.

Aster raised an intrigued eyebrow. “Oh? And you are…?”

Oliver activated his Duel Disk. “I’m the Brojama! You’d best not forget that after I wipe the floor with you!”

“You wanna play with me, huh?” The white-haired youth let go of his girlfriend, activating his own Duel Disk in turn. “That won’t be a problem. However, we’re gonna play on MY terms, which means that our Duel will be a Shadow Game! Heeheehee!” He giggled impishly.

“Fine by me!” Oliver snorted. “I’ll even beat your butt in Mahjong, if I have to!”

“DUEL!!” They exclaimed in unison, a dome made out of shadows enveloping them.

“Let me show you exactly why I’m the hottest stuff in IDA!” The brawny teen began his turn. “I activate the Spell card Polymerization to fuse Ojama Green, Ojama Yellow and Ojama Black from my hand! FUSION SUMMON! Don’t mind his intrusion, it’s Ojama King!” Three utterly repulsive creatures clad in red speedos jumped into a spinning vortex in the air. Out of it, a grotesque monstrosity came, wearing a speedo on both the bottom and top part of its egg-shaped body, as well as a cape and tiny crown combo to denote its royal status.

“I’m not done yet! Next, I’ll activate my Field Spell card, Ojama Country!” Oliver continued his turn. “As long as I control an Ojama monster, Ojama Country switches the Attack and Defense points of all monsters on the field. In other words, Ojama King’s strength will jump from a zero all the way to 3000! Try beating that, if you can!” He exclaimed, as his monster’s muscle mass drastically increased, gaining a brand new set of pecs and rock-hard abs!

“As disgusting as his monsters look, his strategy seems to work. That was a solid opening turn!” Electra reluctantly admitted.

An unperturbed Aster smiled widely, before beginning his own turn. “I liked your Fusion Summon so much, I think I’ll do one of my own… I activate the Spell card Shaddoll Fusion!” He declared, as a foreboding swirl of dark energy manifested above him. “Now I can perform a Fusion Summon using monsters from my deck as materials.” The boy explained.

“Wait, shouldn’t he only be able to fuse monsters that he has in his hand or field?” Jovie curiously asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“That’s how it usually works, yes… Could he be cheating?” Thomas mused.

“Unlikely. Not even the best hackers in the world can manipulate card scripts.” Electra stated. “This has to be an official effect, but how does it work…?” She placed a hand on her chin, pondering.

Aster picked two cards out of his deck. “I’ll fuse Shaddoll Squamata and Qadshaddoll Keios! Come forth, mastermind of a thousand strings! Rebirth that perseveres one’s ruin! El Shaddoll Construct!” A colossal, marionette-like figure descended from the swirling darkness, resembling a holy woman wearing a nun habit. Its porcelain face was stoic, radiating otherworldly beauty that was almost frightening. Countless strings sprouted behind the saintly figure’s back, forming what looked like a pair of phosphorescent wings.

A droplet of sweat trickled down Oliver’s face. “Your monster looks tough alright! But she’s not as tough as my Ojama King!” The athletic youth boisterously said, while his hideous ace monster struck a series of bodybuilding poses, flaunting its mighty muscles.

Aster’s lips parted, revealing a wicked, fanged grin. “Let’s put that to the test, shall we?”

The Brojama solemnly closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “I guess this is it, Ojama King…” He exhaled, steeling himself and turning towards the other students, who had been watching the game with bated breaths. “What are y’all still doing here?! Run away while you still can!” He reprimanded them.

“Run?! What are you talking about?” Thomas questioned him.

“I can only keep him busy for so long!” The Ojama Duelist stated.

“But, Senpai… We can’t leave you behind!” Hiroyuki objected.

“LISTEN TO ME!” Oliver roared. “As the warden of the boys’ dorm, it’s my responsibility to keep my ‘younger brothers’ safe! Take those lovely ladies with you, find some kind of shelter, and stay there until the sun goes up!” He instructed them, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry about me… I’ll join you as soon as I finish up here.”

Ojama King opened its huge mouth and let out a proud war cry, as it prepared to do battle with Aster’s colossal gynoid.

Thomas bit his own lip, feeling unbearable guilt. “We have to go, guys…”

“He doesn’t mean it!” Jovie bawled her eyes out. “He says that he’ll come back to us, but he really means the opposite!”

“We know that, Jovie!” Electra grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her in an attempt to calm her down. “Darn it… This isn’t an easy decision for us to make either, but we have to look out for ourselves! You want Cassie to be safe, don’t you?” She pointed at Cassandra, whose body had been frozen with fear while beholding El Shaddoll Construct.

The auburn-haired girl nodded her head affirmatively, before breaking into more sobs.

The children collectively began to run away as fast as they could, just in time for Ojama King’s fist of fury to meet the Construct’s mechanical digits. The clash of those two titans made the very building shake. From a distance, the retreating students could hear Aster’s shrill laughter, followed by a manly scream that heralded very tragic news…

The Brojama had fallen, but his noble sacrifice would not be forgotten.


	8. The Storm Before the Storm

The cloud-filled morning sky saw a small figure flying through the air. It was none other than Force Strix, scouting the perimeter of the main school building, before diving down and getting into one of the rooms on the ground level via a broken air vent. The avian Duel Spirit found itself inside a storage room, where the surviving students of yesterday’s Shadow Games-related incident had taken shelter.

“There are no signs of Aster or Evangeline anywhere on campus.” Force Strix announced.

“That means they’ve either left the island, or are very good at hiding.” Electra mused, while restlessly pacing to and fro. “We’ll have to assume the worst, which is the second option.”

“Thanks for helping us out, Force Strix. We really owe you one.” Thomas said.

The Raidraptor monster nodded with humility. “Don’t mention it, young man. As soon as Hiroyuki called me and told me what had happened, I was beside myself with worry. I’m just glad to see that most of you made it out in one piece.”

“What about Oliver… Did he make it out in one piece?” Hiro dolefully asked.

The mechanical owl grimly shook their head. “From what I’ve heard from whispers among the IDA staff, he’s convalescing in the infirmary along with the others.” They replied.

Jovie, who had been sitting in the corner of the room, sobbed mournfully at the news.

Thomas frowned. “So, what do we do now? What CAN we do?”

“The Chancellor has proved himself unable to deal with this crisis, which means it’s up to us to put an end to Aster’s Shadow Game streak.” Electra reasoned. “For starters, we need to find out more about him, what makes him tick and what are his weaknesses.”

“How do we go about doing that? It’s not like Aster was friends with anyone besides Eva.” The Bujin player pointed out.

“Actually, there IS one man in this school who might know something about Aster’s background, and we’re gonna pay him a visit!” The Hart heiress stated.

“We’ll go with you!” An extremely sleep-deprived Cassandra chimed in, while tightly clutching Jovie’s sheet ghost costume that she used as a makeshift blanket.

“No, you won’t.” The platinum blonde turned towards them. “You two should get back to your room and rest. You’ve been through a lot already.”

“You don’t understand! I CAN’T sleep!” The goth girl desperately cried out. “If I fall asleep, the ghost will possess me again for sure! Ever since we saw Aster summoning… that thing, she’s been screaming inside my head, clawing to get out! Even now I can hear her voice! She won’t stop! MAKE IT STOP!” She raved in a state of pure panic.

“Cassie, it’ll be alright, I’m here! I’m here…” Jovie hugged her tightly. “You can’t stay awake forever. Let’s just do as Electra says, okay?” She suggested, helping her friend get up.

“Okay…” Cassandra sniffled, holding Jovie’s hand and reluctantly following her outside.

“Take care!” Hiroyuki waved at the two of them as they left.

Thomas turned back to Electra with a questioning look. “About that man you mentioned earlier, the one that could tell us more about Aster… Who is he?”

Electra’s lips curved into a sly grin. “You already know him!”

“You want to know of Aster Rothschild’s background?” Prof. David Kingsley cocked an eyebrow, while sitting behind his office desk, his rectangular glasses glinting under the artificial light. “And what makes you think I have that information, Ms. Hart?” He added.

“It’s simple…” The Hart heiress sighed longingly, while brushing her fingers against the professor’s desk. “You were the one who recommended him for IDA in the first place. You wouldn’t recommend someone you knew nothing about, would you? I understand that, as a student, I have no right to request such information, but…” Her voice trailed off, as she sat on top of the desk, crossing one leg over the other in a way that deliberately showed off part of her left thigh. “Nobody has to know that you helped me, and I’ll make it worth your time…”

Her highly suggestive tone elicited no reaction from the bespectacled professor, who simply typed on his laptop without paying her any heed. “You are quite literally sitting on my workplace, Ms. Hart. I would appreciate it if you left.” He bluntly told her.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you like girls?” Electra cooed.

“Indeed, I don’t like girls. I like women.” The older man quipped.

The Plant-type specialist winced ever so slightly. “Wanna know what I think? I think you know exactly what your ‘protégé’ has been doing ever since he arrived here, and you’re just covering for him!” She accused the man.

David chuckled softly. “Are you referring to the Shadow Games, perchance? Why yes, I know that Aster is the one behind it all. In fact, I’ve known all along!” He casually confessed. “What are you going to do, Ms. Hart? Report me? I doubt anyone would believe you.”

The girl grinned widely. “You’ll find that there are lots of things I can do, hun, and you haven’t seen half of them yet…” She said, while slowly unbuttoning her shirt.

Her gesture elicited an annoyed frown from the professor. “Ms. Hart, in case I didn’t make it abundantly clear the first time, I am not interested in whatever you’re about to show me.”

“Oh, you’re definitely gonna be interested in THIS!” Electra revealed a hidden mic taped onto her chest. “We’ve got a confession, boys!” She hollered, prompting Thomas and Hiroyuki to enter the room and stand beside her as backup.

Prof. Kingsley’s frown deepened. “You do realize that the contents of this recording are not admissible in court, right?” He calmly pointed out.

“Who said anything about giving this to the court?” The Hart heiress countered, closing her shirt. “I’m gonna give it to Chancellor Goldsmith himself. He’s not gonna play by the rules, especially when his job is on the line thanks to this whole Shadow Game fiasco.”

“I believe his exact words were that he’d bring whoever is responsible into ‘a world of pain’.” Thomas appended.

A long silence permeated the room, broken only by the continuous pitter-patter of the rain outside and the occasional thunder. Finally, Prof. Kingsley spoke again. “I had but a fleeting moment of carelessness, and you made the best of it. I’m almost impressed!” He sneered. “Fine, I’ll tell you what you need to know… Aster was a nobody, an impoverished orphan being raised by his older sister, Helga Rothschild. In order to support her brother and herself, Helga had to do all sorts of jobs… including ones that were not, strictly speaking, legal.”

Hiroyuki raised a curious eyebrow. “Such as…?”

“Have you ever heard of Underground Duels?” David asked, receiving confused looks from all three students. “They’re events that are hosted in various underground establishments run by… reputable businessmen. Participating Duelists are forced to wear special equipment that electrocutes them anytime they lose Life Points. Needless to say, none of this is sanctioned. Underground Duels had fallen out of fashion for a long time, but the trend resurfaced with the advent of Restrict Sleeves. The thought of watching humans suffer in place of Duel Spirits enticed many people in the upper echelons of society…”

“Sounds pretty dystopian, if you ask me.” Electra commented. “Was Aster’s sister really that desperate for money?”

“Indeed she was, though the money Duelists usually make in those events is small change compared to how much the establishment makes from the patrons and those who bet on the Duels.” Prof. Kingsley resumed his exposition. “To her credit, she was a remarkable Duelist. In hindsight, it’s easy to see where Aster got his extraordinary talent from. But, her luck ran out when she took on a brutal gauntlet, Dueling several successive opponents with no breaks in-between. The constant electric shocks took their toll, and she began to make misplays… Misplays that proved to be fatal.”

Hiroyuki gasped in horror. “Aster’s sister… passed away?”

Electra’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about all that stuff?”

“I was a regular at the establishment where Ms. Rothschild worked.” The dark-haired professor responded. “I have retained some connections with the underworld thanks to my… previous life. Watching Underground Duels happens to be a favorite pastime of mine.”

“You actually enjoy watching people get shocked to death?! You’re a sicko!” A very cross Thomas exclaimed.

“I don’t expect you children to condone my tastes.” The older man said. “I truly feel privileged to have watched the final Duel of Helga Rothschild’s life. The way her body thrashed in pain was poetry in motion!” His bespectacled countenance was distorted until it barely looked human, lips peeling open to unveil a truly twisted smile. “Nobody appreciates the raw beauty of suffering like I do! Even though I didn’t know her in person, nor had I ever talked to her, I was enamored with her through the heavenly sound of her screams!” He raved on.

“If she still lived, she would’ve called you a creep!” Electra winced in pure disgust.

“I don’t doubt that, but I digress…” David pushed his glasses up, a pair of azure-colored orbs shimmering behind the lenses. “Immediately after Helga fell, a young boy stepped into the arena and seized her Duel Disk.”

“Let me guess… Aster.” The Hart heiress mused.

“Correct.” The professor nodded. “He challenged all of Helga’s opponents, trouncing them with ease, and used the power of the Shadow Games to steal their souls.”

“What exactly are the Shadow Games?” Thomas questioned him.

“In all likelihood, an ancient ritual that’s been lost in the sands of time.” David replied. “Certain murals found in Egypt and the Middle East suggest that the game of Duel Monsters was known to ancient civilizations long before the technology to print cards came about. It is theorized that humans back then made use of sinister magic to invoke Duel Spirits and have them do battle, much like Duelists today pit their monsters against each other. However, that power came with a hefty cost, a ‘Penalty Game’ that was inflicted upon the loser.”

“And you let Aster join IDA knowing that he had that kind of power?! That makes you just as guilty of what he’s done as he is!” Electra spat.

The sound of the rain outside got louder, a massive storm brewing. David’s shoulders shook, as he chuckled lightly. Very soon, he broke into a fit of maniacal laughter, clutching his own face with his hand. All pretense had been dropped, as he bared his true self before the three kids - that being a dangerous psychopath. “You could NEVER understand my motivations! For ten long years I have suffered in silence, rejecting the things that make me happy, pretending to be something I’m not, all because society has deemed my true nature inconvenient! The only thing that can ease my pain is watching the very foundations of this institution - nay, the very foundations of this peaceful world - crumble before the whims of a single child!” He fanatically declared.

All of a sudden, a resounding thunder struck the building, causing all of the lights to go out and leaving the kids - very literally - in the dark. “What’s this? A blackout?!” A dumbfounded Electra exclaimed in surprise.

Prof. Kingsley shrugged indifferently. “I told Salazar he should’ve invested in some backup generators for this exact prospect. Oh well… Time for me to go!” He quipped, his form magically vanishing into a flurry of azure flames, leaving no trace behind.

“Darn it! He got away!” The platinum blonde cursed. Her phone then started ringing, prompting her to take it out of her pocket and answer it. “Hello?”

 _“Electra, help! I can’t stop her!”_ Jovie’s extremely distressed voice came from the other end.

“Jovie? What’s wrong?” A concerned Electra asked.

 _“It’s Cassie! She’s--”_ A shrill cry was heard, before the call ended abruptly.

The Hart heiress turned to the others. “Guys, it sounded like Jovie was in some big trouble…”

“You think she might have been attacked by Aster or Evangeline?” Hiroyuki inquired.

“If that’s the case, then Cassandra could be in danger too. The two of them are almost always together.” Thomas observed. His fists began to shake. “We have to help them! I can’t let another innocent person be harmed…”

Electra nodded in agreement. “Yeah! We can go looking for Prof. Kingsley later. Right now we need to make sure our friends are safe. Let’s go!”

While Electra and her crew rushed to their friend’s aid, another group had decided to come out of the shadows and capitalize on the recent blackout, spreading chaos and terror throughout the darkened halls of the main school building. Having gone on a Shadow Game spree, Aster and his loyal mate, Evangeline, stood victoriously before a pile of bodies of students whose souls had been violently stolen.

“We make a pretty good team! Those weaklings didn’t stand a chance against us!” Aster mused, moving his hand over a mysterious, black jewel hung around his neck. “We’ve collected lots of souls. The El Shaddoll is very happy!”

Evangeline looked at him with a warm smile and a faint blush on her cheeks. “I’m happy too… I love you, Aster.” She genuinely said.

The diminutive youth smiled from ear to ear. “I love you too, Eva.” He asserted, standing on his tiptoes and fervently kissing the girl on the lips. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around him, stroking his white hair affectionately.

“How quaint… The source of my stress was a pair of hormone-addled teenagers.” A new, menacing voice sounded, as Salazar von Goldsmith slowly approached them, brandishing a custom-made white and gold Duel Disk on his arm.

After breaking his kiss with Eva, Aster faced the sharply-dressed adult with a coy expression. “Heeheehee… Are we in trouble, Mr. Chancellor, sir?” He giggled, feigning innocence.

“You have no idea…” Salazar sneered, his eyes glowing with a deep, emerald hue. “You two degenerates have broken every rule imaginable, but more importantly you have jeopardized my position as Chancellor. For that alone, I need to destroy you with my own hands.”

“Destruction sounds fun!” Aster cheerfully exclaimed, activating his own Duel Disk. “If you don’t mind playing a Shadow Game, that is!” He added with a more unhinged expression.

“It won’t be much of a game…” The Chancellor of IDA coldly stated. “That would suggest that both players have an equal chance of winning. I don’t intend to give you an equal chance. I intend to utterly crush you!”

“IT’S TIME TO DUEL!” They both shouted in unison.


	9. Alter Ego

The sound of multiple hasty footsteps echoed throughout the academy’s extremely dimly-lit hallways. “Jovie and Cassandra were supposed to get back to their dorm room! Whoever attacked them can’t be far away!” Electra urgently said, using her phone screen to illuminate the path ahead. Thomas and Hiroyuki followed her lead as usual.

“Jovieeeee! Where are you?” The Bujin player hollered, before nearly tripping on some stairs. “Crud! For once, I’d like to wander these halls without everything being pitch-dark!” He ranted.

“Worry not, children.” Force Strix flew above their heads. “My night vision shall elucidate anything your human eyes can’t see!”

A sharp cry was heard from a reasonable distance, alerting the kids and prompting them to run faster. Turning around the corner, they found a familiar girl with messy hair, who held one of their friends hostage.

“Isabella…” Thomas furrowed his brow. “Let Jovie go!” He yelled.

With Isabella’s hand covering her mouth, the Williams heiress could only make distressed, muffled sounds, as if desperately trying to warn them about something.

“We meet again, dweebs!” Isabella smirked widely. “Stay back, otherwise I can’t guarantee that your little friend here won’t have her face ruined!” She threatened the group, brandishing a shiny switchblade in her free hand.

“Where’s Cassandra? What have you done with her?” Electra demanded to know.

“Guys, wait, don’t hurt her!” Jovie finally managed to free her lips. “This IS Cassandra!” She cried out.

“You just can’t keep your mouth shut for your own good, can you?!” Her captor angrily tossed her to the floor, causing her to yelp in pain.

The three students were left aghast, as they tried to process this new, preposterous information. “Isabella is Cassandra…?” Electra muttered in disbelief.

“That makes no sense!” Hiroyuki objected. “We faced Isabella in the boiler room a few days ago. She used a Zombie-focused deck.”

Isabella smugly covered half her face with her hand, mimicking Cassandra’s gothic, eye-obscuring hairdo. “Is this enough to convince you?”

Thomas’ eyes widened. “My god… They really ARE the same person!”

Electra glared at the Zombie-type specialist. “What kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde contrivance is this? Are you telling me that you’ve been hiding in plain sight all this time?”

Isabella scowled at her choice of words. “‘Hiding’? You think I actually wanted to remain trapped inside my cage? No… Cassandra held me back on purpose. I was kept imprisoned by that greedy wretch who stole my life!” She spat.

Hiroyuki peered at her with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Let me tell you a story about our mother, Alice Faraday…” The black-haired girl began to elaborate. “For starters, Faraday is not her real surname, and she’s not our real mother.”

“She’s not? Then who is?” Thomas inquired.

“I wouldn’t know. Cassandra doesn’t remember that either. She was taken away from her home when she was very young…” Isabella gritted her teeth. “Despite claiming to be our mother, Alice treated her more like a guinea pig than a daughter. She starved her, tortured her in the name of ‘research’, and punished her harshly for showing the slightest signs of disobedience.”

“Cassie never told me any of this…” A clearly horrified Jovie muttered under her breath.

Electra frowned deeply. “We were told Aster’s sob story not too long ago. We don’t need to hear another psychopath trying to justify their messed up actions!”

“Too bad, ‘cause you’re gonna hear it anyway!” Isabella snapped at her. “Eventually, Cassandra created a brand new ‘her’ - someone that could deal with all the abuse, all the experiments and all the surgeries in her stead, while she lived a normal, pain-free life.”

“I see… She developed what is known as multiple personality disorder.” Force Strix mused.

“She transferred all of her problems to someone else, is what she did!” Isabella furiously retorted. “And you wanna know the worst part? She doesn’t even remember that I exist! She thinks I’m some ghost that keeps possessing her! I suffered unspeakable things for her sake, and she doesn’t even care!”

“It’s not her fault!” Jovie stood up, placing a hand on her chest. “Cassie is not a bad person… If she knew that you existed, and that you were in so much pain, she wouldn’t have let you go through that alone!”

“What is taking you this long, Isabella?” Their debate was interrupted by the sound of high heels clicking against the floor. A mature woman with black and white hair emerged from the darkness, crossing her arms in front of her bosom.

“Prof. Faraday… I mean, Alice!” Thomas exclaimed in surprise.

“Alice…” The Williams heiress pouted. “Is it true that you’ve hurt Cassie and Isabella?”

“Yes. Everything my daughter has said is true.” The monochrome-haired professor confirmed callously, before turning to her so-called daughter. “Why are you wasting your time conversing with these children? This is your chance to get rid of your weaker half that’s holding you back. To succeed where my first daughter failed. To fulfill your duty as a Nevermore!”

Isabella’s scowl was replaced by a subtle grin. “Yes, Mother… I’m not gonna let her use this body again. She owes me all those years she took away from me.” She stated, before pointing a finger at Jovie. “I don’t know why, but something about you really pisses me off! You and I are gonna wager Cassandra in a Shadow Game. If I win, she’ll disappear forever!”

Electra rolled her eyes. “Not another Shadow Game!” She groaned.

“What happens if I refuse?” The auburn-haired girl warily asked.

“Then we’ll both disappear!” Isabella replied, pointing her switchblade against her own throat.

“Okay, I’ll do it! Please don’t hurt yourself!” Jovie frantically waved her hands in front of her.

Alice smiled wickedly. “Show her the might of our vengeance, Isabella Nevermore!”

“With pleasure, Mother!” The black-haired girl mirthfully declared, withdrawing her sharp weapon and activating her Duel Disk, while a dome made out of shadows formed around them. A mirage-like image of Cassandra manifested above her, arms stretched out in a crucifix position, while her eyes were closed, as if she was sleeping.

“C-Cassie!” Jovie gasped in shock. “What have you done to her, Isabella?”

“I thought it’d be nice if I let her watch our Duel. Her fate rests in your hands, after all.” The Nevermore heiress casually explained. “She’s not even conscious right now, but it’s the thought that counts! I’m feeling generous, so I’ll let you go first.”

“Alright, I will…” The Prank-Kids player drew her opening hand. Soon, her side of the field was populated by her colorful, cartoon-like monsters and their funny contraptions, leaving her with a decent line of defense against anyone trying to attack her Life Points.

“Jovie-san is playing quite aggressively.” Hiroyuki observed.

“I have to win this Duel for Cassie’s sake!” The auburn-haired girl said resolutely. “Even if it means saving her from herself… I’ll do it because she’s my friend!”

“Tch… You’re gonna save your friend with childish cartoons?” Isabella clicked her tongue. Her own turn began with the activation of her signature Field Spell card, Zombie World, turning the Dueling terrain into a gloomy, haunted wasteland. Soon, her graveyard was loaded with undead monstrosities, at which point she revealed a new card in her hand. “I activate the Spell card Dragon’s Mirror! By banishing 2 Zombie-type monsters from my graveyard, I Fusion Summon Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon!” A ghastly dragon emerged on the field, its demonic upper body being covered in skeletal armor, while its serpentine lower half was composed of decaying muscle tissue held together by several bony bands.

Isabella’s appalling creature made quick work of Jovie’s line of defense, but the Prank-Kids Duelist snapped back on her next turn, summoning more of her childlike, mischievous creatures, who fused together into her wacky ace monster. “Now I’ll activate my Prank-Kids Battle Butler’s effect, destroying all of your monsters!” She exclaimed, as her opponent’s undead behemoths were swallowed up by a noisy, comical hurricane.

“It’s not over yet!” The Zombie-type user grunted, drawing her next card. “I summon Ghost Charon, the Underworld Boatman, and activate its effect!” A chthonic ferryman floated into the field, its ghoulish features partially obscured by a large straw hat.

An elated smile dominated Alice’s face. “Excellent, my daughter! The power wielded by the servants of the Goddess is now yours!” She proclaimed.

“By banishing Ghost Charon and the Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon that’s in my graveyard, I have all the materials I need…” Isabella’s monsters were converted into luminous orbs indicating their respective Level, while she began to chant in a trance-like state.

“May the earth shatter.  
May the oceans dry.  
And may the sun extinguish itself!  
SYNCHRO SUMMON! Come forth, Dragocytos Corrupted Nethersoul Dragon! Obey my command! My name is Isabella Nevermore!”

Isabella’s dragon grew twice as massive, gaining a third horn and an additional pair of fleshy wings. The fiendish face that had appeared on its torso opened its horrifying, drooling maw of alabaster teeth, exhaling a noxious, violet mist.

The nightmarish abomination spread its quadruple wings and let out an ear-splitting, heart-stopping roar that frightened the young students to their core; It was an unexplainable, primal fear that was somehow hard-coded into their subconscious memory.

Far away from the island, inside a clean hospital room, a comatose woman with long, white hair was lying on a bed surrounded by beeping machinery, a respiratory mask covering her mouth. Her arms had become borderline skeletal through years of atrophy. Unexpectedly, the bedridden woman’s eyelids twitched, before opening far and wide, bloodshot eyeballs staring directly at the ceiling.

_“Where… am I?”_ Isabella muttered in bewilderment. Physically, she was still having a Duel, but spiritually she was elsewhere; A lavish chamber of ancient Egyptian architecture, lit torches lining up the stone walls that were filled with grandiose murals depicting gods and old kings. The writing that accompanied those depictions was impossible to decipher.

 _“Another dragon has been awakened. Two yet remain…”_ A man in archaic clothing stood before her. Despite the setting, he looked distinctly Caucasian, his arms and bare chest decked with golden jewelry. White-haired locks peeked out from under an elaborate, regal headdress that adorned his head.

 _“Who are you?”_ The girl asked the unknown figure.

 _“I am a part of you and everyone who has inherited our ill-fated name.”_ The man cryptically replied. _“I have been called many things, but in this incarnation you see before you, I was known as the White Pharaoh.”_ He outstretched his arm. The floor rumbled, as two massive stone tablets rose in front of him, depicting ferocious dragons with red and blue eyes respectively. _“One day, we shall meet in person, in your own time. When that day comes, I will pose a certain question, which you will have to answer sincerely.”_

 _“What question is that?”_ The girl inquired.

The White Pharaoh opened his mouth…

And then Isabella returned to reality. While still baffled over the vision that she had just experienced, her expression quickly hardened. “I don’t need friends! I only need power! Friends will inevitably betray you and leave you for dead! But if you have power, you are untouchable!” She boomingly declared, her eyes shining with a sickly, yellow hue. Her gruesome dragon decimated Jovie’s cartoon-inspired monsters with unrelenting brutality, depleting her remaining Life Points.

The Prank-Kids player fell on her hands and knees, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “I tried my best, I really did… I’m sorry, Cassie…” She despondently whispered.

“Your ‘best’ was simply an embarrassment!” Isabella scoffed, before outstretching her hand, gnarling her fingers into a claw. “Now I get to inflict the Penalty Game that will finally remove that blight Cassandra from my life!” She announced.

Jovie gasped out of panic. “Wait, please, don’t do this! I get that you’re angry, but there has to be another way! Can’t you and Cassie just get along?” She begged and groveled in despair.

“Losers shouldn’t whine when they lose! You’re pathetic!” The Nevermore heiress spat. She then gazed upwards, sneering at the suspended, spectral form of Cassandra. “Goodbye, ‘sister’. Starting from today, I am my own person… There Can Be Only One!” She yelled, causing her original personality to be devoured by the shadows, much to her own delight.

After witnessing her best friend’s cruel fate, Jovie sobbed uncontrollably. “How could you do such a thing… You’re awful! I hate you!” She screamed at the Zombie-type user.

“It’s time for us to leave this place.” Alice decreed, her heel clicking against the floor.

Isabella deactivated her Duel Disk and walked towards the older woman. “Tell me, Mother… Are you proud of me?” She asked in an apathetic tone.

“Yes, my Isabella.” The Nevermore matriarch answered with a disingenuous smile. “You’re already shaping up to be much better than my old daughter. Much more obedient too…” She added, clicking her fingers. As if on cue, a radiant sigil appeared beneath their feet, causing both women to magically vanish.

“Argh! What is it with bad guys always getting away!” Thomas grunted in frustration.

Hiroyuki, on the other hand, was more concerned about their friend, giving the Williams heiress a pitying look. “Jovie-san…”

In a rare display of empathy, Electra kneeled next to the heartbroken girl and gave her a big, comforting hug.

“It’s all my fault…” Jovie uttered between sorrowful sobs.

“I told you that I was going to crush you.” Salazar von Goldsmith gloated, while standing behind a gargantuan, skeletal devil with a serpentine tail, whose powerful form brimmed with verdant, extrasensory energy. “No matter how many Flip monsters you keep setting in Defense position, they won’t be able to protect your Life Points from my Ultimate Axon Kicker.” He continued, his unwavering confidence backed by the fact that he clearly had the upper hand in both Life Point count and card advantage compared to his adversary.

Despite the odds seemingly being stacked in his opponent’s favor, Aster retained that cocky smile of his. “You should be careful when attacking Flip monsters, Mr. Chancellor, sir. They often come with nasty effects!” He countered.

“Are you referring to your face-down Shaddoll Squamata?” The Chancellor of IDA flashed a self-satisfied grin. “My Ultimate Axon Kicker cannot be destroyed by card effects, so it poses no threat to me. It was foolish of you to think that your dirty tricks would work against one of my kind.” He raised his hand in front of him, clenching it into a fist. “You are no different than all my half-witted employees, who mock me behind my back and call me incompetent, thinking I’m too dull to notice! My intellect is far superior to that of mundane people!”

The white-haired boy giggled, as he tended to do. “Heeheehee! Have you already forgotten that I set more than just monster cards? I activate my Super Polymerization!” He declared.

“I accounted for your backrow, which is why I’ll respond with this!” The Psychic Duelist revealed a face-down card of his own. “Counter Trap card activate, Mind Over Matter!”

The Shaddoll player laughed loudly. “FOOL! You can’t activate cards or effects in response to Super Polymerization! Nothing can stop a Forbidden Spell!”

Salazar’s green eyes widened. “Impossible! Nobody has used a Forbidden Spell in over 10 years!” He cried out in terror.

“This was made possible by all the souls we collected in the name of the El Shaddoll!” The younger Duelist explained. “And now, you’ll contribute to it too… the El Shaddoll’s master plan to merge our two worlds together! FUSION SUMMON!!” He roared with demented glee, clasping his hands together. As if on cue, the entire outer wall behind them was torn apart, huge chunks of rubble being absorbed into a swirling vortex that had materialized on the outside. Salazar’s ace monster was absorbed as well, and soon, Aster’s own ace, El Shaddoll Construct, emerged in all of their resplendent glory - not as a mere hologram, but as a real-life Duel Spirit - a flash of lightning dramatically revealing their building-sized form.

The artificial giantess attacked Salazar’s now empty field, reducing his Life Points to zero, and subsequently claiming his soul as penance for losing the Shadow Game. The man’s body promptly collapsed on the floor, an incorporeal orb of light flying out of his chest at the last moment and floating into the Black Pendant that hung from Aster’s neck.

Maintaining their current manifestation after all other holograms had dissipated, El Shaddoll Construct produced hundreds of phosphorescent strings from their back, spreading them throughout the entire IDA building, which was soon engulfed in a thick, shadowy fog.

“Isn’t it great, Evangeline?” Aster cackled maniacally. “The Final Shadow Game has begun!”


	10. The Final Shadow Game

El Shaddoll Construct’s reach was all-encompassing. Soon, the IDA building in its entirety had been flooded with luminescent, lavender strings that had dire creatures attached on their ends. Lacking free will, those hollow, marionette-like monstrosities followed their creator’s grand design, wreaking havoc and terrorizing bewildered students and faculty alike!

Electra’s group tried to seek shelter amidst the confusing pandemonium, the lack of visibility thanks to the blackout not making things any easier for them.

“Could this day get any worse?!” Thomas grunted in frustration, beginning to get worn out from all the running.

“Tom, I swear, one of these days I’m gonna stitch your mouth shut! Look!” Electra pointed ahead of them, where a bunch of Shaddoll monsters were blocking their path.

“Leave them to me, children!” Force Strix exclaimed, flapping their mechanical wings to produce roaring gales that pushed the animated dolls back. “These are no mere holograms that are attacking the populace! They are real Duel Spirits!”

“But, why would Duel Spirits attack the school? The Eastern Duel Spirit Republic would never condone such an act!” Hiroyuki protested.

“Those things look a bit too… brainless to be from the Republic.” The Hart heiress mused. “I bet you anything that Aster is behind this! Those look a lot like his monsters!”

Thomas clenched his fist in anger. “Aster… that bastard!” He spat.

“Guys, there’s more of them!” A horrified Jovie cried out, as several more of those artificial monstrosities came at them from every angle, completely surrounding the group.

“There is no end to them…” Hiro winced.

“I cannot fend them all off…” Force Strix added, searching for a potential opening in the enemy’s formation and finding none.

“Attacking those who cannot defend themselves… Have you no honor? Begone, foul beings!” A heroic voice sounded just when things seemed most desperate. A glowing suit of armor unexpectedly swooped in, flying on four wings that were bathed in cerulean fire.

A surprised gasp escaped Thomas’ mouth. “You are…”

One of the creepy marionettes that was shaped like a Chinese dragon opened its mechanical maw, spewing a beam of concentrated darkness at them, but the inhuman knight seamlessly deflected it with a shiny mirror encrusted into their shield. “Nice try, scoundrel, but the powers of darkness have no effect on me! For I am Bujintei Kagutsuchi, and I shall banish you back to the shadows whence you came!” The knight pridefully boasted, slicing the hostile horde apart with a flaming sword.

In light of this new arrival, the Shaddoll monsters swiftly adapted their strategy, their broken segments being tied and sewn together by even more glowing strings, gradually forming a brand new apparatus that resembled a monstrous fish with multiple eyes, pointy teeth, crustacean limbs and very large frills.

“Are you freaking kidding me?!” Electra groaned in exasperation.

“No more! Please… no more!” Jovie cried helplessly, covering her face with her hands.

“Kagutsuchi, look out!” Thomas warned the Bujin Duel Spirit.

“This is as far as you’ll go, unsightly creatures!” Yet another presence announced themselves out of the blue; A handsome, masculine, angelic figure with breathtaking, quadruple wings made up of black and red rose petals instead of feathers. “I am Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel, and I treasure all things that are beautiful! Things that are ugly, like you, have no place in this world!” The figure declared, flapping their floral wings to distract the piscine abomination with a rain of rose petals, before flying down and hitting it with a powerful uppercut that shattered its non-organic frame to pieces.

“Unbelievable…” A dumbfounded Electra muttered after the dust had settled, catching a falling rose petal in her open palm. “You’re a monster that’s in my deck. And you…” She turned towards Bujintei Kagutsuchi. “You’re one of Tom’s monsters, aren’t you?”

“The veil that separates the Spirit World from the Human World has thinned, allowing us to manifest here.” Rosaria explained, crouching on one knee to reach the girl’s eye level. “‘Tis a pleasure to finally meet you, milady.” They added, bowing their head.

“Same…” The young woman responded with a faint blush.

Thomas briefly glanced at Hiroyuki and his Raidraptor Duel Spirit, before looking up at Kagutsuchi’s imposing form. “So, you and I are… partners?”

“Indeed.” The Bujin deity nodded affirmatively. “Our connection was established on the day you picked up your deck, Sir Thomas. Therefore, one could say that we have already fought many battles together.”

Electra gave Rosaria a questioning look. “The thing you said just now… about the veil thinning. What did you mean by that?”

“An extremely potent spell is causing our two worlds to slowly fuse together. That is also what caused the invasion of those ugly beings.” The floral-winged angel elaborated.

“Uhm… What will happen when our worlds… finish fusing?” Jovie nervously inquired.

“The Spirit World has much higher magical density than the Human World.” Kagutsuchi grimly answered. “Your world will be crushed… literally.”

“Oh no!” The auburn-haired girl covered her mouth out of sheer shock.

“Wait a minute! Something doesn’t add up here!” The Plant-type user objected. “Since when did Aster have the power to destroy the world? I thought all he could do was steal souls.”

“Fiddlesticks! I should’ve known!” Force Strix cursed out loud, taking everyone by surprise simply due to how unusual it was to hear them use such vocabulary. “All those souls that he collected were meant to fuel a ritual! This must have been his plan all along!”

“I dunno about you, but I’m sick and tired of Aster doing as he pleases!” Electra scowled deeply. “We’re gonna put a stop to this! Luckily, we have a new trump card in our Duel Spirits.” She pointed at Rosaria and Kagutsuchi. “With them by our side, we should be able to handle that evil elf and whatever magic tricks he decides to throw at us.”

“The convergence point of this fusion spell… I can sense it upstairs.” Rosaria mused, closing their eyes. “That must be where that Aster person is.”

“We shall come with you!” Hiroyuki resolutely said.

The Hart heiress shook her head. “No. Me, Tom and our Duel Spirits will go. You and Force Strix should stay behind and make sure she’s safe.” She pointed at the still horrified Jovie.

The Asian youth hesitated for a moment, but he nodded in understanding. “I’ll do so! Good luck!” He wished them.

“You too, buddy!” Thomas wished back, before they went their separate ways.

While everyone else fearfully ran for dear life, a certain raven-haired man leisurely strolled the bustling hallways with nary a care in the world. “Now THIS is what I call entertainment! And I have none other than Aster Rothschild to thank for it!” David Kingsley barely contained his ecstatic laughter, as he avidly watched the chaos that unfolded everywhere around him. The people’s terrified screams and cries for help were sweet music to his ears!

His rejoicing was cut short when a bunch of Shaddoll monsters approached him with hostile intentions, rattling their artificial joints menacingly. The professor’s smile turned into an irritated frown. “That ungrateful brat… After everything I’ve done for him, he sics his mindless puppets on me as well?! It can’t be helped, I suppose…” He lamented under his breath, removing his glasses to reveal eyes that glowed with an otherworldly, azure hue. “You’ve made a grave mistake by turning against me!”

“Heeheehee! The El Shaddoll’s dream - OUR dream - is gonna come true!” Aster Rothschild howled with laughter, as he stood on the main building’s rooftop, his ivory hair being swept by the wind. Behind him loomed the colossal figure of El Shaddoll Construct and the ever expanding vortex of Super Polymerization, while lightning struck repeatedly in their surroundings, as if the end of days was coming. “Humans are weak, while Duel Spirits are strong! It only makes sense that their world should destroy ours! Only the strongest humans will survive, those with the power to make an actual difference and set things right!” The white-haired boy raved on.

Evangeline listened to his speech with a yearning expression. “A new world built from scratch… One where everyone can be happy…” She quietly mused.

“There he is!” Electra Hart spotted the nefarious couple from a distance. “This ends here, Aster!” She yelled, dashing towards them with Thomas in tow.

“Oh, look. More weaklings for us to play with!” The Shaddoll user outstretched his arm. Two wicked marionettes attached to the Construct’s strings lunged straight at them, extending their nasty claws to tear the two teenagers apart.

“Think again, scoundrels!” Bujintei Kagutsuchi rushed ahead, cleaving the two puppets in half with a single stroke of their flaming sword.

Aster’s cocky smile disappeared from his face. “What in the--”

During the confusion, Thomas caught up with the shorter youth and decked him in the face with a mean right hook. “I told you I was gonna smash your face in!” He exclaimed.

Aster reeled back from the sheer impact of the punch, clutching his now bloodied nose. “Not bad, Tom… You finally grew a backbone! Did it feel good?” He asked with a weak chortle.

“No, it did not! I’m still angry!” The Bujin player replied, gritting his teeth.

“Aster, are you alright?” Evangeline rushed to her boyfriend with a concerned look, helping him get back on his feet.

“Don’t worry, Eva. If he was serious about hurting me, I wouldn’t still be conscious.” The diminutive youth said, manually affixing his broken nose with a sickening crack. “That being said, there IS something you could do to make me feel better…” He suddenly grabbed the girl’s crimson mane and pushed her face against his, voraciously making out with her, while gauging the other boy’s reaction through the corner of his eye.

Thomas clenched his fists so hard, his knuckles whitened. “You little piece of--”

“Don’t let him get under your skin, Tom!” Electra cut him off, before shooting an incensed glare at the two messed up lovebirds. “As funny as it would be to watch you boys engage in a bout of fisticuffs, we all know that there’s only one real way to settle this. You two had better stop sucking face and activate your Duel Disks right now!” She demanded.

“Very well!” Aster nonchalantly shoved Evangeline away from him. “I don’t need to collect souls for the El Shaddoll anymore, but I’ll Duel one of you just for fun! Heeheehee…” He eerily giggled, while shuffling his deck.

The Hart heiress narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll handle this one, Tom. You should try knocking some sense into Eva. Somehow I feel she’s as much a victim in this as everyone else was…” She whispered to Thomas.

“Alright, I’ll try…” The Bujin player reluctantly activated his Duel Disk, staring at Evangeline with a guilt-stricken expression. “It’s time to Duel!” He declared after steeling himself.

“Almost there, Jovie-san…” An agitated and slightly worn out Hiroyuki said, while dragging the Williams heiress behind him. “We’re almost out of the reach of those monsters!”

“W-wait!” Jovie let go of his hand and clutched her own knees, panting heavily. “Just… leave me behind…” She whispered in a volume that was barely audible.

The Raidraptor player turned back with a bewildered look. “What…?”

“I’m just slowing you down!” The auburn-haired girl miserably cried out. “I can’t even fight back. I don’t have a filthy Duel Spirit like the rest of you. I’m not as smart as Electra, or as headstrong as Thomas… Even when I try to help, I only end up making things worse! I’m useless!” She lamented with bitter tears in her eyes.

“Is this about what happened to Cassandra…?” The Asian youth frowned pitifully. Struggling to come up with an appropriate response, he sheepishly walked closer to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault… Trust me when I say that you are NOT useless! A useless person would have abandoned their friend to save their own life, but you didn’t do that. And I’m not going to do that either!” He stubbornly declared.

“Children, watch out!” Force Strix swooped in behind them to intercept an underhanded sneak attack from a hostile Shaddoll monster, blowing the evil marionette to smithereens with a mighty gust of wind generated by their flapping wings.

“Strixie, you saved us!” Jovie exclaimed in awe.

The mechanical owl spun their head towards her, smiling as much as someone with a metallic beak for a mouth could smile. “Not bad for a ‘filthy Duel Spirit’, eh?” They jested.

“Not bad for a GREAT Duel Spirit!” The girl corrected them, smiling genuinely.

“And with that, I end my turn!” Electra announced, standing behind a lineup of gorgeous, female creatures with humanoid torsos attached to large, exotic flowers. “What’s the matter? You don’t look so cocky anymore.” She questioned her opponent with a smug grin.

“Why you… Nothing’s wrong! I’m just toying with you!” A clearly indignant Aster claimed, concluding his own turn with nothing but a newly set card.

The Plant-type user’s grin merely widened. “Oh, really? ‘Cause it looks to me like you’ve been forced to play defensively ever since I exposed your deck’s weakness!” She bragged, wagging her well-manicured finger. “You haven’t activated Shaddoll Fusion once in our Duel. Why is that? Could it be because your cards only work against decks that rely on summoning monsters from the Extra Deck, and unlike your previous opponents, I only rely on my Main Deck monsters?”

“Shut up!” The white-haired youth growled.

“You’re right, I should let my monsters do the talking! Show him your thorns, my Plant Princesses!” Electra ordered her alluring alraunes to attack her opponent, greatly reducing his Life Points.

“Argh! There’s more than one way to Fusion Summon!” Aster grunted in pain, before revealing two of his face-down cards in succession. “With my El Shaddoll Fusion, I’ll Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Wendigo using monsters from my hand!” A doll shaped like a little girl emerged on the field, riding on the back of a purple, mechanical dolphin. “And with my Shaddoll Schism, I’ll banish 2 Shaddoll monsters from my graveyard, in order to Fusion Summon El Shaddoll Winda!” Wendigo was soon joined by another feminine, green-haired doll that rode a large, draconic marionette. “El Shaddoll Winda cannot be destroyed by card effects, and El Shaddoll Wendigo’s effect also prevents her from being destroyed by battle. Now I have an impenetrable defense to stall you with while Super Polymerization finishes merging the two worlds together! Heeheehee!” The Shaddoll player stated, ending his explanation with a demented cackle.

The Hart heiress frowned. “You are one messed up boy! I kinda get it, though. If I’d lost my parents and then my sister, I’d be in a really bad place too, mentally… However, that doesn’t excuse all the terrible things you’ve done! Stealing people’s souls, destroying their lives, planning to end humanity… What would Helga think if she could see you right now?”

“Don’t say her name, you SWINE!” Aster furiously roared, tears cascading down his nonetheless scowling countenance. “Helga died because she was WEAK! I didn’t need her! All I need is the El Shaddoll! Shadow Games are the ultimate power!”

“My reconciliation attempt was a dud. Oh well, at least I tried!” The platinum blonde mused to herself, shrugging haphazardly.

Meanwhile, Thomas was trying to make his own opponent listen to reason. “Eva, you’ve gotta stop this madness!” He pleaded, struggling immensely to hold back his tears. “Aster might be beyond saving, but we could still help you, if only you would let us…”

The red-haired girl adamantly shook her head. “No! Only Aster can help me! We’re gonna save each other… I Flip Summon Pot of The Forbidden, activating its effect to destroy all of your monsters!” She declared, as the lid of her gigantic jar opened, revealing the frightening visage concealed within, which shot a powerful streak of lightning from its cyclopean eye.

“By detaching an Xyz material from Bujintei Kagutsuchi, I prevent my Beast-Warrior-type Bujin monsters from being destroyed!” Thomas exclaimed, as his Xyz knight deflected the lightning with their mirror-encrusted shield. “How will you two save each other? The whole world is gonna treat you as enemies after what you’ve done today!” The young man objected.

Evangeline bit her lower lip. “We will hide from everyone who wishes us harm… We will find a place to call home and start a new life together…” She daydreamed aloud.

“What, you’re gonna run off and get married?! Come to your senses, Eva! Aster doesn’t love you, he’s just using you!” The Bujin player spat. “If he really loved you, that would’ve been enough for him to be happy. He wouldn’t need to carry out some crazy plan to destroy the world!” He looked straight into the girl’s jade-colored eyes. “I know that if you’d chosen me instead of him, I would’ve been the happiest guy in the world…” He confessed in a softer, mellower tone.

The Flip monster specialist stared back at him with an awestruck expression. “T-Thomas, you…” She muttered in a daze.

“This has gone on long enough! How about we finish it? I draw!” Electra commenced her next turn, drawing her latest card with a dramatic arm flourish. “By banishing one high-leveled Plant-type monster from my hand and one from my graveyard, I Special Summon Rosaria, the Stately Fallen Angel! Rosaria’s effect now activates, negating the effects of all other cards on the field! So much for your ‘impenetrable defense’!” She scoffed, as her angelic Duel Spirit appeared in hologram form, spreading their majestic wings and summoning a storm of rose petals that neutralized the two El Shaddoll monsters.

Aster’s eyes widened. “Winda, Wendigo… NO!”

“This one is for Oliver!” Electra yelled, ordering one of her Plant Princesses to attack her opponent’s weakened Fusion monsters, causing the boy to cry in pain, as a spectral orb of light jumped out of the Black Pendant that hung from his neck, flying freely into the air.

“One of the souls he stole has just been set free!” Rosaria shouted.

The Hart heiress smirked. “Good, let’s keep it up! This is for Fin Dorsal!” Another of her monsters attacked, freeing even more captured souls from their containment. “And this one is to save our world! Go, Rosaria!” Lastly, her ace monster flew towards El Shaddoll Construct, swiping their arms in an ‘X’ pattern and slicing the colossal marionette’s body apart in a series of violent explosions.

“NOOOOOOO!!!” The Shaddoll player bellowed, before toppling over, his Life Point meter reading ‘zero’.

“Bujintei Kagutsuchi, attack directly and end this Duel!” Thomas also finished on his end, defeating his Flip effect-abusing opponent.

After losing her Duel, Evangeline fell on her hands and knees. “What have I done…” She mumbled under her breath, tearing up.

“All’s well that ends well!” Electra jovially said, wiping her hands clean. “Wait, why is that swirl of spinning space nonsense still around?” She wondered aloud, pointing at the roaring Super Polymerization vortex that not only had not disappeared following Aster’s defeat, but had actually grown in size and intensity.

“The merging of the two worlds will not be stopped.” A distorted voice that sounded both masculine and feminine came out of Aster’s lips, his tiny body rising up involuntarily. He stared at the platinum blonde with a completely disinterested look, the color of his irises having shifted to a dull, golden hue.

The Plant-type user gazed back at the boy. “Let me guess… You’re the El Shaddoll?”

“Affirmative.” The possessed youth nodded. “We have seized this child’s body as a temporary vessel from which to oversee the final phase of our master plan.”

Thomas scratched his hair in confusion. “I don’t get it. Since we’ve defeated Aster, shouldn’t the merging of our worlds stop?”

“A Forbidden Spell acts independently from the one who casts it.” The El Shaddoll explained in a matter-of-fact manner. “By defeating our wielder, you have accomplished nothing.”

“Great, so we just wasted our time!” Electra groaned in frustration.

“No, there is a way to stop it…” Evangeline stood up, narrowing her eyes. “I’ve seen Aster use Super Polymerization in a Duel. It’s a Spell that fuses two targets together - one willingly, the other unwillingly. Right now, its targets are the Human World and the Spirit World, but… if we gave it different targets that still fulfilled those requirements…”

“What are you getting at?” Thomas cluelessly asked.

Evangeline faced him with a sorrowful look. “I’m sorry, Thomas… I truly am… for everything! Please don’t hate me!” She cried out, before rushing towards the possessed Aster and tackling him off the edge of the roof, causing both of them to fall off.

“Eva, no! EVAAAAA!!” Thomas screamed at the top of his lungs, impulsively trying to run towards her, only for Electra to swiftly restrain him.

As their plummeting bodies careened in mid-air, the El Shaddoll gave Eva an impassive look. “What do you think you are doing, child?”

“I’m making up for my mistakes!” The crimson-haired girl declared, wrapping her arms around the boy. “Don’t worry, Aster… Soon, we’ll be together forever…”

And they were both sucked into the black hole-like spiral, which began to swell and bulge uncontrollably, emitting life-threatening discharges of electricity as it did. Slowly but surely, it shrunk down - like a star after reaching the end of its lifespan - until it was reduced to molecular size, then atomic, and finally nothing. An immense weight had been lifted from the world, as the stormy clouds soon dissolved to reveal a clear, sunny sky. A beautiful rainbow appeared over what remained of the IDA building.

“Is it… finally over?” Electra gaped at the rainbow in awe.

Thomas wrenched himself free from her grasp. “Eva… She gave up her life…” He collapsed on his knees, quietly sobbing.

“Tom…” The young woman exhaled, giving him a pitying look.

“There are no longer any signs of the El Shaddoll on this realm.” Rosaria mused, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Sacrifices had to be made, but your nightmare is over…”

Inside the school, a floating, shiny orb wandered the messy hallways, as if searching for something - or rather, someone. Eventually, it found Salazar’s lying body, whereupon it dove down and vanished into his chest. Seconds later, the man woke up from his soulless slumber with a sharp gasp, followed by a coughing fit. “I’m… alive!”

“You were never technically dead.” A raven-haired man was kneeling next to the Psychic Duelist, manually checking his vitals. “Don’t overexert yourself, by the way. It’ll take time for your body to adjust to having a soul again.”

“Mr. Kingsley… what happened to your glasses…?” Salazar groggily uttered.

David raised a curious eyebrow. “Hmm? My glasses?” His hand hovered over his own countenance, verifying that his spectacles were missing, exposing his azure-colored irises. “I must have misplaced them. Yes… That’s what happened.” He replied, glancing behind him, a fire of unknown origin still lingering at the end of the hallway.

The professor’s phone suddenly started ringing to the tune of Toccata and Fugue in D minor. He answered it with clear annoyance in his tone. “What is it, doctor? You’re not exactly calling me at a good time.” A moment later, his annoyed expression was replaced by an uncharacteristic look of abject terror.

“SHE DID WHAT?!”

Elsewhere, inside a dimly-lit, highly secure conference room, a bunch of high-ranking generals and government officials had gathered around a round table, surrounded by state-of-the-art equipment and multiple holographic displays that showed the island where IDA was located from several different angles.

“What a tragedy…” A sharply-dressed elderly man sighed, clasping his bony hands in front of his mouth. “To think that the horrors from 10 years ago would repeat themselves, and our children would be the ones to suffer… God help us.” He sighed again.

A male secretary leaned next to his ear. “Sir, we received word from Vice President Kamiya of the Eastern Duel Spirit Republic. They deny any involvement in the Shaddoll Incident.”

“Hah! That’s such a Republic thing to say! What’s the actual news?” Another man sitting across the table chortled obnoxiously. The room’s scarce lighting obfuscated his visage under a shadowy veil, save for a thin, swirly mustache and a crescent-shaped, toothy smile.

“Who invited this clown here?! This is a serious matter that concerns our national security, not an opportunity to crack bad jokes!” A stern-looking general spat.

“This ‘clown’ happens to be a good friend of mine.” The elderly man retorted. “Furthermore, his first-hand experience in dealing with malevolent Duel Spirits makes him more qualified to be in this room than any of you! He was the man who defeated Evilswarm Umbra, after all. I would treat him with a little more respect, if I were you.”

“Sir, yes sir.” The general lowered his head.

“Aww, stop it, Josh! You’re making me blush!” The mustachioed man chuckled like an oaf. He noisily cleared his throat and straightened a comically large, pink bowtie with a pair of white-gloved hands. “There’s no reason to hurl venomous insults at each other, gentlemen. We know who the real threat is… Those filthy Duel Spirits that have festered in our peaceful world for years, like a viral infection! Their penchant for toxic behavior anytime they’re asked to take responsibility for their actions has made them a consistent bane on humanity! For how much longer will we poison the minds of our youths with lies about coexistence being possible?” He pontificated, gnarling his slim fingers into an upwards-facing claw. “Rather than relying on God’s divine intervention, I think we should do something about this ourselves!”

“I have reviewed your proposition and I cannot, in good conscience, green-light it.” The elderly man stated. “What you’re asking for is essentially free reign to operate independently on uncharted territory with only a handful of mercenaries. The thought of leaving the future of the human race in the hands of a single man is disconcerting, to say the least.”

“I have way more than a ‘handful’ of mercenaries, but I digress, silly me!” The mustachioed man’s goofy smile did not falter, as he addressed everyone in the room. “Gentlemen, if we don’t act now, when the next ‘incident’ happens - and it WILL happen - our children might not be as lucky as they were today…”

His closing statement hung in the air, eliciting worried, apprehensive or straight up distraught looks from many of the people that were present.

Finally, the elderly man nodded. “Very well. Proceed as you must, Mr. Mortimer Williams.”


	11. Licking Our Wounds

The once stunning structure that was IDA’s main building was enveloped in a bunch of scaffolding, as reparation works to restore it to its former glory were being done to this day. In order to distance himself from the racket of construction workers running about, Thomas had withdrawn to a small grove that was located near the schoolyard. The youth solemnly stood in front of a makeshift grave made up of a pile of rocks and a wooden cross on top of it all.

“Paying your respects, huh?” A certain platinum blonde approached him.

“Electra…?” The Bujin player turned towards her with a somewhat confused look. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? I basically come here everyday. It’s not my fault we’ve never run into each other before.” Electra casually explained. “Who do you think is responsible for this decor?” She smugly gestured at the patch of colorful flowers that surrounded the grave.

Thomas gasped. “That was you?!”

“Technically, Rosaria did it with his magical, plant-growing powers, but the idea was mine.” The young woman clarified. “I can get sentimental too from time to time, you know. I’m not just a cold-hearted B-word.”

“I never said you were…” Tom said in an apologetic tone. He then sighed. “It’s hard to believe that she’s not here anymore… There were so many things I never got the chance to say to her. Even right now I don’t have the courage to tell her how I really felt.”

“It’s okay, Tom… I’m sure that deep down Eva knew, otherwise she wouldn’t have tried to redeem herself. It was you who made her realize her mistakes. Never forget that.” Electra remarked with a warm, yet somber smile. She began to walk away, gesturing for the boy to join her in an introspective stroll. “To tell you the truth, I’m having a hard time processing everything that’s happened myself. To think that the whole world almost got destroyed… It’s been over a week and this place is still in shambles, while the infirmary is filled with people who are still recovering from literally having their souls taken out of their bodies!”

“At least we managed to give them their souls back.” Thomas pointed out.

Electra’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, we did. And you know what? I’m darn proud of us!” She declared, though her expression quickly soured. “And yet, despite defeating Aster, Prof. Kingsley, the one truly responsible for this whole mess, got off scott-free! Not only that, but he got a paid leave too!” She spat.

“Paid leave?! What’s the story behind that?” The Bujin player curiously asked, relying on the night-omniscient power of girly gossip to get the latest scoop.

“Apparently, he had to get back to the mainland on short notice. Family emergency.”

“I didn’t know that Prof. Kingsley had a family.”

“That’s what he claimed anyway, but I wouldn’t trust a word that came out of that creep’s mouth.” Electra said, shrugging indifferently. “By the way, I visited Oliver in the infirmary the other day. He looked great!” Her expression softened as she changed the subject. “Boy, was he happy to see me! In fact, he was so excited that he said he’ll take me out on a date as soon as he’s discharged.”

“And you’re okay with that?” A baffled Thomas inquired.

The girl shrugged once more. “Why not? It’s just one date. It’s the least I can do for him after he saved our skins.” She responded, before her expression turned serious again. “Hey, Tom… What did your parents think of… all this?” She asked.

“They were very worried, naturally.” The youth replied. “I had to lie and tell them that I just stayed inside my dorm room while everything went down. If I’d told them that I fought in the front line, they would’ve died from anxiety!” He half-joked.

“Same here…” The Hart heiress nodded. “Even after I told my Dad that there was nothing to worry about, he insisted that I should drop out of IDA. I told him that I wouldn’t and we had a big fight over the phone, which wasn’t nearly as satisfying as telling him off straight to his face.”

“Heh. I can imagine!” Thomas chuckled curtly. “Parents can get unreasonable sometimes…”

“With all due respect, Mr. Goldsmith, you are being completely unreasonable!” A brown-haired woman berated the Chancellor of IDA, their quarrel drawing the attention of several students that frequented the busy hallways. “You can’t do everything on your own. You’re overworking yourself, when you should be resting like everyone else that fell victim to the Shadow Games.”

“I’ll tell you what’s unreasonable, Ms. Esmeralda Yang.” Salazar faced her with a stringent look in his sleep-deprived, green eyes. “Me not doing my job while this institution is facing the most devastating PR crisis in recent history! The entire world’s eyes are on us right now. And you’re asking me to delegate my duties to somebody else, when the mud-slinging media are eagerly awaiting our next slip-up to smear our image even further?!”

Esmeralda opened her mouth as if to say something, but quickly subdued herself.

After a brief moment of silence, Salazar resumed walking forward. “We get dozens of calls from concerned parents every single day, asking us to send their children back home.” He explained to the apprehensive employee, as he opened the door to his office. “If we don’t do something to address those concerns, attendance is going to reach an all-time low, and that could spell the end of my career as well as yours.”

“Indeed, we’ve gotta milk every last cent from those darn rich parents!” A sarcastic voice suddenly sounded.

To his shock, Salazar found another man sitting at his very desk; A lean, mustachioed man clad in a gaudy, bright purple suit and a comically large, pink bowtie. “M-Mr. Williams… To what do I owe the pleasure?” The Chancellor of IDA asked with a distinct stutter in his voice that juxtaposed his usual, quite eloquent way of speaking.

Esmeralda’s mouth was also agape with awe. “‘Mr. Williams’?” She muttered.

The mustachioed man smiled goofily. “Geez, you look like you’ve just seen a ghost! Is that a way to greet your beloved boss?” He flamboyantly said, getting up from the revolving office chair and approaching the duo. “I just thought that, in light of the recent Shadow Game-related hubbub, I should become a bit more proactive in protecting my investment.” With a suave look, he held Esmeralda’s hand in his gloved own and gave it a noisy kiss. “You must be Esmeralda Yang. Charmed! How’s your sister doing? If the report I read is to be believed, she was among the victims. Is it true that she went all cuckoo?” He crossed his eyes, swiveled his finger around his temple and imitated the sound of a cuckoo clock.

“Ruby has yet to recover in any meaningful way.” The brunette responded. “I’m taking care of her for now. It’s kinda like having a baby at home… A rather big baby that chews anything she can get her hands on and calls me ‘Malda’.”

“You have my condolences.” The man let go of her hand. “That being said, Malda is such an endearing name. You should give that name to your firstborn child.” He jested in an attempt to break the ice.

Salazar grimaced, any attempt to mask his annoyance rendered futile by the absurd mannerisms on display. “Not that I don’t want you here, Mr. Williams, but I currently have a lot on my plate.” He stated as calmly as he could.

“That’s precisely why I’m here, Sally! To help you scrape that plate clean!” The mustachioed man jovially declared, clapping his white-gloved hands. “We have lots of work to do, but first I’d like to do some light reading to alleviate the stress caused by my flight here. I want unrestricted access to any files pertaining to one Alice Faraday, and make it snappy!” He requested.

Chancellor Goldsmith raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “The Professor of Summoning Mechanics? She and her daughter have gone missing ever since the Shaddoll Incident. Why do you need to read her file, if I may ask? That is sensitive information.”

The other man’s eyebrow twitched, but he maintained his smile nonetheless. “Ms. Yang, I need to have a private talk with the Chancellor regarding the state of ‘sensitive information’. In the meantime, kindly see to it that the auditorium is available this afternoon. I plan to give a big speech to the young’uns after I’m done with my light reading.”

“I shall make preparations.” Esmeralda nodded, leaving the office.

Later that day, IDA’s massive auditorium was filled to the brim with hundreds of noisy students, who sat impatiently in their seats and murmured amongst each other, aching to see that esteemed guest the entire school was buzzing about. Soon, Esmeralda Yang stood behind the podium, quieting their ruckus down with a fake cough. “Children, please welcome our very special guest… The CEO of Williams Industries, the owner of IDA, the Umbra Slayer, Mr. Mortimer Williams!” She announced.

A festive music track played and colorful confetti rained from the ceiling, as Mr. Williams himself took the stage, being met with thunderous applause. Several drones hovered above the audience’s heads, recording everything with their built-in cameras. The purple-suited man bowed deeply to his adoring fans, a very wide grin gracing his mustachioed countenance.

“That’s my Dad!” Jovie enthusiastically whispered to her friends, while clapping her hands.

“You never told us your father was the owner of this school, Jovie-san.” Hiroyuki said.

“You couldn’t tell from her last name?” Electra snarkily remarked. “He’s only one of the most famous people in the world!”

“You’ll have to forgive Hiroyuki, for he is not versed in human celebrities.” Force Strix quipped.

“Your dad sure knows how to make an entrance.” Thomas sarcastically observed, while picking pieces of confetti off his hair.

“They call him a ‘Slayer’, but that abhorrent outfit befits a court jester more than it does a knight.” The large, armored figure sitting next to him said in a deep voice.

Rosaria, who was sitting next to Electra, scoffed. “Speak for yourself, Kagutsuchi! I find that combination of colors to be quite beautiful and pleasing to the eye.”

Mortimer tapped the microphone with his finger to verify that it worked, before beginning his speech proper. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys, girls and everything in-between, children of all ages. Let’s not dilly-dally any longer and address the Flying Elephant in the room.” His mouth turned into a straight line. “The Shaddoll Incident has left its scars on both this building and the people in it. Some scars are more visible than others. I can still see the fear in your eyes, and it’s a fear I am well familiar with… 10 years ago, when Evilswarm Umbra and her army of dastardly Duel Spirits terrorized the world, I was there. Although the media have built me up as some kind of brilliant hero - the intrepid Umbra Slayer - the truth is that I was just a scared little man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and happened to do the right thing. In memory of all the innocent people whose lives were claimed by that terrible monster, I promised that I would never let the same thing happen again. Today, I’m finally able to fulfill that promise.” He said, clicking his fingers.

As if on cue, several men and women dressed in stylized military uniforms lined themselves up behind him. All of their Duel Disks appeared to have been retrofitted with a strange, scope-like protrusion whose purpose was not entirely clear.

“Presenting to you the Duel Spirit Containment Unit - DSCU for short!” Mortimer exuberantly announced, extending his arm dramatically, his gnarled fingers resembling a greedy, power-hungry claw. “These brave men and women have been hand-picked by yours truly and trained under the toughest regimen to deal with all manner of non-human menaces! They are true heroes, putting their lives on the line to ensure that the rest of us won’t have to live in fear anymore! With the government’s blessing, they shall be humanity’s first line of defense against the threat that Duel Spirits pose! They shall fight the good fight for the sake of the human race!”

“FOR THE HUMAN RACE!” The uniformed men and women behind him yelled with soldier-like discipline, raising their arms to salute their flamboyant leader.

After Mortimer’s speech had concluded, most of the students scattered, but Electra’s crew hanged around in the hallway, wordlessly trying to process the most recent development.

“So? What did you think of my Dad? He’s pretty cool, right?” Jovie cheerfully asked the rest of the kids, who exchanged nervous looks amongst themselves.

“He’s, well… How do I put this…” Thomas assumed the heavy burden of telling the auburn-haired girl what was on everybody else’s minds. “I was pretty much with him, until he decided to flaunt his army of elite anti-Duel Spirit mercenaries.”

The Williams heiress tilted her head in confusion. “Was that a bad thing? They just wanna help people. Dad called them heroes, after all.” She affirmed, nodding to herself.

The rest of the group exchanged even more worried looks with each other. “Jovie, do you even know what a mercenary usually does?” Electra eventually spoke up.

“I believe that your father has the best interest of humanity in mind, but his approach is bound to cause controversy.” Force Strix sagely remarked. “There are ways to mend the strained relationship between humans and Duel Spirits. Militarization is not one of them.”

“There’s my little angel! Come over here and give your old man a big ol’ hug!” Mortimer hollered from a distance, grinning from ear to ear.

“Dad!” An overjoyed Jovie ran up to the man and hugged him tightly. “I’ve missed you so much! How’s your day?”

“My day has been exquisite, thank you for asking!” The Williams patriarch chuckled softly, hugging the girl back and patting the top of her head. “I wanted to come here much sooner, but business kept getting in the way. If you wanna spare yourself a lot of trouble, never become an adult!” He jested, chuckling once again. “What about YOUR day, kiddo? I can’t imagine how this past week must have been for you.”

The Prank-Kids player frowned sadly. “I’m feeling a bit better, but I still miss Cassie… a lot.” She shook her head and regained her bright smile. “I’m happier now that you’re here, though! Come with me, I want you to meet my friends!” She broke the hug and eagerly dragged her father by the hand.

“Woah, take it easy! You’re gonna rip my arm off!” Mortimer jokingly protested, but followed the girl regardless, until they both rejoined the group. “So you’re my daughter’s friends, eh? Jovie has told me so much about you. My name is Mortimer Elias Williams the Third.” The mustachioed man introduced himself with a theatrical bow. “I’m glad to finally meet you… and your Duel Spirits.” He fixed his gaze on Force Strix, Rosaria and Kagutsuchi, his visage momentarily twisting into what looked like a disgusted scowl. “Electra, is that you?” He quickly concealed his emotions and turned to the platinum blonde, his lips curving into a wide smile. “Goodness gracious, you’ve grown so tall! How’s your father doing?”

“Oh, you know! Destroying his corporate rivals, paying alimony for his latest failed marriage… The usual!” The Hart heiress casually responded.

“What is an alimony?” Rosaria cluelessly asked.

“Hah! That’s great to hear!” Mortimer laughed yet again, before shifting his attention to the rest of Jovie’s friends. “You must be Thomas Folliot, the strong-willed young man with the heart made of gold!” He mused, extending his white-gloved hand.

Thomas uneasily shook it. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir. That was… quite the interesting speech back there.” He commented, trying to sound polite.

“It was propaganda, plain and simple!” Hiroyuki snapped, much to everyone else’s surprise. “You pinned all the blame on Duel Spirits, conveniently ignoring the fact that it was Aster who started the Shadow Games!”

The eccentric CEO didn’t bat an eye to the harsh accusations thrown his way, simply continuing to smile. “You bring up an excellent point, Mr. Hiroyuki Sayonara!”

“It’s Sasayama…” The Asian youth meekly corrected him.

“It’s true that Aster Rothschild was the catalyst for the Shaddoll Incident.” The Williams patriarch resumed his rhetoric. “However, who’s to say that he wasn’t under an evil Duel Spirit’s influence all along? The alternative would suggest that a mere teenager was able to bring IDA’s administration to its knees.”

Thomas rubbed his own chin. “To be fair, Aster WAS possessed by the El Shaddoll in the end.” He pondered aloud.

“Exactly! Ergo, Duel Spirits are to blame!” Mortimer confidently asserted.

“Darn it, Tom! Don’t let him gaslight you!” Electra lightly bonked the youth on the head.

“Enough!” Bujintei Kagutsuchi stepped forward, pointing a gauntleted finger at the bowtie-wearing man. “You twist the truth to suit your own selfish narrative! I thought I had misjudged you, but I can see clearly now that you’re naught but a conniving snake!”

“Guys, please don’t fight!” Jovie pleaded, getting between the two opposing parties.

A male DSCU officer ran up to Mortimer, whispering something in the latter’s ear that made his goofy smile widen even further. “Thank you, Maurice. That is splendid news!” The mustachioed man rejoiced, before turning back to the rest of the group. “As much as I’d like to continue this lovely discussion, the sirenic call of business beckons me once again. I plan to extend my stay in IDA a while longer, in order to help Chancellor Goldsmith run the place, so I’ll see you kids around!” He stated, literally bowing out - as in, taking another stage bow and walking away from them.

“See you, Dad!” Jovie waved at him as he left.

The mercenary shot a rancorous glare at the kids’ Duel Spirit partners, before opting to follow his eccentric employer, mumbling something under his breath as he did.

“Filthy Duel Spirits…”


End file.
